Netflix’s ‘Little House’ Star Luke Bracey Blushes Over Being Compared to Michael Landon (VIDEO)

The reboot of Little House on the Prairie will soon make its claim on Netflix audiences when it debuts on July 9, and with it, it will reintroduce the Ingalls family to a whole new generation of viewers. That also means a new actor will be stepping into one of television’s most iconic father roles, a character forever associated with Michael Landon.

Back in the day, Landon’s Charles Ingalls set the standard for “Pa” on Little House, bringing kindness and quiet strength to the Ingalls household. But that wasn’t the only heat Landon brought to the prairie. Known for his burly physique and undeniable charisma, the actor also became one of television’s earliest heartthrobs, giving the rugged frontiersman a level of sex appeal that helped make him a draw beyond young ladies in braids as their mothers watched in lurid fascination.

TV Insider’s Kate Hahn asked Luke Bracey, the new Little House on the Prairie “Pa,” for his take on following in Michael Landon’s footsteps and whether he feels any pressure stepping into one of television’s most iconic (and smoldering) father figures. “Luke, we’ll keep this family friendly, but back in the original series, some moms did tune in to see Michael Landon. So what can you say? Is that a reason to watch his show?”

“Potentially,” laughed a blushing Bracey. “I think… um, uh…the show has many more facets to it. I hope! (laughing) I think so.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by TV Insider (@tvinsider)

Surrounded by his onscreen family, including Alice Halsey as Laura, Skywalker Hughes as Mary, and Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline, the cast quickly dissolves into a giggle fit over the idea of “hot Pa.”

“There’s a real Trojan horse element to this show,” explained Bracy once he regained his composure. “People, I think, are going to watch it expecting one thing, and thinking maybe they are going to know what’s going to happen or what it’s going to be like. I think they’ll find some really interesting journeys and lessons they are going to take from this that they probably wouldn’t expect. And maybe they’ll see a little bit of a mirror to their own lives and their current situation, and where they are in life now.”

“I think is a really wonderful thing about this show is that even though it is set in 1869, in this faraway land, seemingly, the connections it has with everyday life now are the same. It’s hard to have a family. It’s hard to be a member of a community. Life is difficult. And this family is together, and their love for each other gets them through difficult situations,” he explained.

Bracey concluded that, “I think people might tune in for many reasons, but they might come out of the show with some lessons they didn’t expect.”

Little House on the Prairie, Season 1 premiere, July 9, Netflix

— Additional reporting by Kate Hahn