‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star Alison Arngrim Dishes on ‘Mortal Enemy’ Melissa Gilbert
Alison Arngrim and Melissa Gilbert might have played mortal enemies on Little House on the Prairie, but that couldn’t have been any further from the truth in real life.
The actresses came back together for the show’s 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday, March 23, and Arngrim spoke to People about their relationship on and off-screen.
“Here’s Melissa Gilbert and I playing mortal enemies, beating each other senseless all week,” Arngrim said. “And then on the weekends, we’d go to each other’s house for a slumber party and we were hanging out.”
Gilbert played the lead, Laura Ingalls, in the beloved series, while Arngrim starred as schoolyard bully, Nellie Oleson. On-screen, the pair often clashed in arguments and even physical fights.
But when the cameras weren’t rolling, Arngrim said she and Gilbert were “like sisters” and even choreographed their fight scenes together. “It’s so completely bonkers,” she joked.
Arngrim referenced a photo of her and Gilbert posing together on the set of a Christmas episode in which their characters fight. She revealed how fans are often surprised that the two of them are smiling in the picture.
“People say, ‘It’s little Nellie and Laura, but you’re smiling. The two of you don’t smile at each other in that episode,'” she recalled. “I’m like, ‘This was us for real.'”
Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim on Little House in the Prairie; The Everett Collection
While Arngrim and Gilbert could separate real life from fiction, some viewers could not. “People hated me. They hated me, hated me,” Arngrim said, referencing how her character became an iconic villain.
She also recalled a time someone threw a cup of orange soda in her face while at a Christmas parade. “I was a moving target and they hit me. So I’m kind of impressed,” she joked. “But what struck me about it, and all the times that people attack me, I was like, ‘What am I doing that they are so convinced this is real, that they’re just losing it?’ ”
Arngrim and Gilbert reunited with fellow Little House cast member Karen Grassle at Saturday’s event. Last week, the three ladies sat down with Good Morning America to speak about the hit show, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this September.
“It’s overwhelming, actually,” Gilbert said of being back on set. “I’m remembering so much and so much of my childhood and so many wonderful experiences and emotional experiences attached to all of these people.”
Arngrim added, “When we did the show, we went, ‘Yeah, this is a really good show, Oh, it seems to be a hit, that’s nice.’ But the idea that 50 years later, people would still be excited about it, it’s absolutely mind-blowing.”
Michael Landon
Karen Grassle
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Sue Anderson
Karl Swenson
Richard Bull
Katherine MacGregor
Alison Arngrim
Jonathan Gilbert
Kevin Hagen
Dabbs Greer
Charlotte Stewart
Victor French
Ted Gehring
Bonnie Bartlett
Merlin Olsen
Patrick Laborteaux
Hersha Parady
Matthew Labyorteaux
Linwood Boomer
Don "Red" Barry
Ketty Lester
Dean Butler
Lucy Lee Flippin
Steve Tracy
Jason Bateman
Missy Francis
Allison Balson
Shannen Doherty
Stan Ivar
Pamela Roylance
Lindsay Kennedy
David Friedman
Leslie Landon
Lindsay Greenbush
Sidney Greenbush
Brenda Turnbaugh
Wendi Turnbaugh
⨁Full Cast & Crew
Conversation7 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
M
Little House on the Prairie was one of my favorite shows growing up. I had the whole set of books. The show took a few liberties from the books, but never wavered from the wholesome set of values that was always present. Everyone wanted Caroline as their “Ma”, same with Charles as their “Pa”. They were both strong, physically and emotionally, fiercely protective of their family, and went to church, dare I say, religiously and were very firm and devout to their faith. The girls were sweet, well-behaved, good students, and respected their parents, teachers, and elders. When did that change? Little House was such a nice change from shows where the kids ran the house.
10
-
N
You said everything I was thinking but probably said it better than I ever could. I loved the show growing up and even as an adult if I notice it is on I will keep the channel on and watch it over and over.
-
P
And in reality Mary went blind because they were starving and Laura was stunted in her height again because they were starving. Their father couldn’t support the family. That’s what she originally wrote but her daughter rewrote and whitewashed the realities of Laura’s life
-
-
B
Little House had the combination of great acting, great scripts, no filth and profanity, a strong father figure and Biblical values. And Hollywood wonders "Why is this show such a hit 50 years later?"🤔 They sure are not the sharpest tools in the shed over there in Hollywood!🙄
9
-
G
Sure wish Hollywood would produce more tv shows like this again. Instead of the filthy crap that's on now.
8
-
C
I really LOVED this show back in the late 70's-80's... me and my family would watch this everyday it came on. Now I can see it on MeTv and love the re-runs of all of the shows I grew up with... But this WAS the BEST one here hands down!!!
3
-
P
When I read Laura’s bio and what she’d originally written about just how difficult life was, how they were starving because her father wasn’t able to financially support them that’s when I stopped believing all the fake nonsense. Her daughter Rose had no business rewriting Laura’s work and sanitizing just how difficult life was
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services