Little House On The Prairie Cast Then And Now

1. Laura Ingalls - THEN

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Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, also known as "half-pint" by her father and Beth by her husband is the central character in the series. She is athletic, brave, and daring. Laura frequently struggles with her inability to conform to normal standards because she is not quite as ladylike as her sisters or mother.

2. Melissa Gilbert - NOW

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Melissa Gilbert beat over 500 child actresses for the part in Little House on the Prairie. After the show, she continued to work in television appearing in Choices of the Heart and Babylon 5, and in 1985 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Cool!

3. Charles Ingalls - THEN

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Charles was raised in Wisconsin and stayed there with his family until it got too crowded and food started to become limited. He moved to Minnesota and in order to obtain the deed to their land, Charles worked at Hanson's Mill, repairing the roof and stacking bags of grain at the feed and seed store.

4. Michael Landon - NOW

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After Little House on the Prairie, Michael Landon also starred in Highway to Heaven. Landon began to experience severe headaches on April 2, 1991, while on a skiing vacation in Utah and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three days later. On July 1, at age 54, Landon died in Malibu, California.

5. Mary Ingalls - THEN

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Mary Ingalls was a well-known character who went blind when she was 15 years old. Mary's nerves in her eyes had been weakened by a previous case of scarlet fever, and she would soon become completely and permanently blind. Eventually, Mary became a teacher, the job she had always dreamt of.

6.  Melissa Sue Anderson - NOW

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Anderson published her autobiography, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, in 2010, which looked back at her role in Little House on the Prairie. She was also nominated for a 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for the same role. In 2002 she moved to Canada and became a Canadian Citizen in 2007.

7. Caroline Ingalls - THEN

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Caroline Ingalls was the wife of Charles. When they first met Charles invited Caroline to a barn dance but never showed up. Charles then arrived at her house and explained why he hadn't been there, he had been beaten up by school bullies. Later in life, Caroline felt terrible that she could not provide Charles with a son.

8. Karen Grassle - NOW

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Karen Grassle was born in Berkeley, California in 1942. After Little House on the Prairie ended, she relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she co-founded and served as artistic director of the Resource Theater Company. Unfortunately, she died in 1991 from pancreatic cancer.

9.

Carrie Ingalls - THEN 

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Carrie who was played by two identical twins was occasionally shown to have a wild imagination. She had a dream that she had a fairy godsister named Alyssa who looked exactly like her, and she thought Alyssa was real! Later in the series her father persuaded her that Alyssa was a character she had created out of loneliness. Harsh!

10. Lindsay/Sidney Greenbush - NOW 

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Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush were both born on May 25, 1970. After the series the twins appeared in commercials for several companies including Kentucky Fried Chicken. The twins decided to give up acting and attend public school instead. In 1988, they graduated from Santa Monica High School.

11. Joe Kagen

 - THEN

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Joe Kagen was one of Walnut Grove's few African-American residents who used to be a champion prizefighter, who later became near suicidal. Charles Ingalls looked after Kagan for a few months, putting him to work in the local mill to straighten him out and restore his strength.

12. Moses Gunn - NOW

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Moses Gunn was born on October 2, 1929. After Little House on the Prairie, Gunn's final acting role was as a murder suspect in "Three Men and Adena" in 1989. He died from complications of asthma in Guilford, Connecticut on December 16, 1993, aged 64.

13. Nellie Oleson - THEN

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Nellie was the first real antagonist on the show, she was a spoiled brat, the daughter of a successful general store owner, who gave her everything she wanted when she was a child. As a consequence, she became rather obnoxious, and the other kids despised her for it.

14. Alison Arngrim - NOW

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Years later, Alison Arngrim turned to comedy and recorded the comedy record album, Heeere's Amy. She also had several guest roles in television series such as The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. Alison also loves charity work and became an activist for AIDS awareness.

15. Nels Oleson - THEN

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On the show Oleson's Mercantile is co-owned by Nelson Oleson and his wife, Harriet Oleson. They have three kids in total: Nellie, Willie, and Nancy, who was adopted. They are the true embodiment of a love/hate relationship as they quarrel and fight frequently.

16. Richard Bull - NOW

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Born on June 26, 1924, in Zion, Illinois, Richard Bull made over 100 film and TV appearances. His final appearance came in 2011 as an elderly farmer in Boss. On the morning of February 3, 2014, Bull passed away in a California hospital from pneumonia aged 89.

17. Almanzo Wilder - THEN

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With his sister Eliza Jane, Almanzo relocated to Walnut Grove, where he later married Laura. He had the misfortune of having a stroke during a hailstorm, and his home was also destroyed. Almanzo and Laura also had a son who died about a week after he was born.

18. Dean Butler - NOW

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Canadian-American actor, Dean Butler went on to appear in various TV shows in the 80's and 90's after Little House on the Prairie including The Love Boat, and JAG. Butler currently creates entertainment, sports, and documentary content from behind the camera.

19. Albert

Ingalls - THEN

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Albert Ingalls spent his early years in numerous orphanages. As he wasn't very big or strong enough to defend himself, he was bullied. When he was a small child, he fled and lived alone in Winoka, where he was caught stealing newspapers. Do you remember this episode?

20. Matthew Labyorteaux - NOW

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As well as acting Matthew Labyorteaux is a skilled video game player and became the United States Pac-Man champion recording a score of 1,200,000. His biggest film role was in Wes Craven's Deadly Friend (1986) More recently Matthew has become a voice actor in video games and animated programmes.

21. Harriet Oleson - THEN

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In a nutshell, Harriet Oleson was a highly obstinate, snobby person who just thinks about herself and was also known as the town gossip. Before getting married to Nels she was engaged to a pastor, who called off the marriage because he couldn't decide whether he loved God or Harriet more.

22. Katherine MacGregor - NOW

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Katherine MacGregor stopped acting in screen projects after Little House on the Prairie and started performing in regional theatre. She also committed her life to the Hindu faith missing the series finale of Little House on the Prairie as she was on a pilgrimage. Macgregor died in 2018 aged 93.

23. Willie Oleson - THEN

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Willie Oleson was a troublemaker and privileged kid who performs pranks on other kids, including his own older sister. Willie frequently got into trouble at school and his teachers would constantly send him to the corner for misbehaving. What a rascal!

24. Jonathan Gilbert - NOW

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Jonathan was one of only 6 actors that appeared on all series of Little House on the Prairie. He left acting shortly after filming ended and he earned his BA degree from Hamilton College. Gilbert is currently a stock broker in New York. Nice career switch!

25. Isaiah Edwards - THEN

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Isaiah Edwards, a huge man,  who first encountered the Ingalls family whilst they were residing in the vast grasslands of Kansas before moving to Walnut Grove. Edwards was a decent but erratic individual. Due to earlier personal traumas, he struggled with alcohol, loss of faith, and depression on numerous occasions.

26. Victor French - NOW

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In 1969, Victor French starred alongside Elvis in the Western Charro and was also known for his role in Highway to Heaven. Victor died in 1989 after being diagnosed with lung cancer 3 months previously. In 1989, French was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame.

27. James Ingalls - THEN

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James was born in the late 1800s and grew up with his parents, and his sister Cassandra, before becoming an orphan due to a wagon accident. James was later shot when entering a bank during a heist, and was also captured in a bear trap, surviving both times!

28. Jason Bateman - NOW

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One of the most well-known actors on the cast, Jason Bateman has starred in several hit films and television series including Ozark and Dodgeball. Bateman has admitted to struggling with alcohol and drug addiction in the 1990's after becoming a child star in Little House on the Prairie.

29. Reverend Alden - THEN

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Reverend Alden is a devoted preacher of the Bible to the people of Walnut Grove. He turned to God after his entire family passed away from an illness and he was a lone farmer who struggled with alcohol. Alden appeared in every season of the show including the finale.

30. Dabbs Greer - NOW

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Dabbs Greer was a legend of the big screen, appearing in roughly 100 films and 600 episodes of different television series. In 2003, his final acting appearance was on the television show Lizzie McGuire. Greer battled kidney failure and heart problems until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 90.

31. Dr. Hiram Baker - THEN

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For these shows, there's always a handy doctor who serves the community - and for this show, that was Dr Hiram Baker, who served Walnut Grove and the areas close by. Not only did he work as a doctor, but he was also acting as veterinarian - talk about a varied skill set!

32. Kevin Hagen - NOW

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Although this actor had a varied career, including a role in the hit show M*A*S*H, his best known role remains as the doctor in Little House on the Prairie. He's appeared in a ton of other standout TV shows, though, but sadly the actor passed away in 2005, leaving behind his wife and son.

33. Melinda Foster - THEN

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Melinda Foster was a postwoman who could be found - you guessed it - at the Post Office in Walnut Grove. She was a minor character in the show, but an important one if you needed to send a letter, after all. She was played by actress Ruth Foster, who had a minor role on the show.

34. Ruth Foster - NOW

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Ruth Foster was an accomplished actress in her own right (the same surname as her character is a coincidence, of course!). One of her most well-known roles was on The Little House on the Prairie, but she had a number of other film and TV roles. She sadly passed away in 2012, at the age of 92.

35. Jonathan Garvey - THEN

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Jonathan Garvey was one of the many residents of Walnut Grove, the husband of Alice Garvey and Andrew Garvey's father. He worked on the mill, while spending his time tending to his land, too. One of the plotlines saw the Garvey's barn unfortunately burning down!

36. Merlin Olsen - NOW

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As well as being an actor, Merlin Olsen was actually an American football player! He starred in the NFL. He had a 15 year career in football, alongside his acting accolades, which included his own show, Father Murphy. Sadly, he passed away in March 2010.

37. Eva Beadle - THEN

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Known as Miss Beadle to her students, Eva was the schoolteacher at Walnut Grove School on Little House on the Prairie. She taught Mary and Laura at school, and was married to Adam Simms. She always had the best intentions, though it didn't always go to plan!

38. Charlotte Stewart - NOW

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Eva was played by actress Charlotte Stewart. An accomplished American film and TV actress, Little House on the Prairie is still one of Stewart's best known roles. Her last television appearance was 2017, but she released a book in recent years - her memoirs.

39. Andrew Garvey - THEN

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Andrew, as the name rightly suggests, is the son of Alice and Jonathan Garvey! On the show, he moved with his family to Walnut Grove and was soon fast friends with Laura Ingalls. The show saw them adventuring together in the outdoors, including helping to care for a momma wolf and her babies.

40. Patrick Labyorteaux - NOW

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Patrick's acting career is still going strong since his time on the show, and he's appeared in other hit TV shows like NCIS. He's also a television producer and writer. He's also happily married, with one child with his wife, and he's also made guest appearances on a ton of other TV shows.

41. Lars Hanson - THEN

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Lars Hanson was a pretty big deal on the show - he was actually one of the founders of Walnut Grove. Because of this, he was also a town elder. He was the guy you went to if you needed to ask about a job, or whether you could sell some of your land. He got along with a lot of the residents.

42. Karl Swenson - NOW

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Karl Swenson was a good all-rounder when it came to his successful acting career. He starred in theater, radio and film as well as TV. You'll also know his voice from Merlin in Sword in the Stone! Sadly, the legendary actor of stage and screen passed away in 1978 - and to make it more tragic, he died not long after filming the death scene for his Little House character.

43. Hester-Sue Terhune - THEN

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Hester started out on the show as a teacher at a blind school, which then merged with another school - the one Adam and Mary Kendall ran in Walnut Grove. Hester also had a second job as a waitress at a restaurant. Hester was once married to Sam Terhune, but it wasn't to be!

44. Ketty Lester - NOW

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Ketty Lester has not only been an actress during her career, but she's a well-known singer. Perhaps her most famous song is Love Letters, which reached the charts back in the 60s. These days, the 88 year old is living in Los Angeles, and taking it easy - no doubt living off her royalties!

45. Adam Kendall - THEN

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Adam Kendall was married to Mary on the show, and he also suffered an accident when he was a young boy which left him blind. He then attended the Burton School for the Blind, which is where he first met his future wife Mary. He then stayed in Walnut Grove when the schools merged.

46. Linwood Boomer - NOW

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Linwood Boomer is no longer acting, but his career includes his acting work as well as writing and producing. You may have heard of a show he actually created, too: Malcolm in the Middle! It wasn't long after his time on Little House that he switched to working behind the camera instead.

47. Alice Garvey - THEN

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Alice was the wife of Jonathan Garvey, and the mother of Andrew Garvey on the show. After the family's barn burned down, Alice took a job at the Walnut Grove post office - much to the annoyance of Jonathan, who believed it was a 'man's job' to support the family.

48. Hersha Parady - NOW

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Actress Hersha Parady is best known for her role in Little House on the Prairie, but before that, she'd done some theatre work, including Streetcar Named Desire. She'd had a lot of TV guest roles before the show, but hasn't done much acting work since. She stayed friends with a lot of the cast, though.

49. Nancy Oleson - THEN

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Nancy was the adopted daughter of Nels and Harriet Oleson - but it wasn't smooth sailing, at first. Nancy didn't want to be adopted originally, and once tried to run away. She was convinced to return only on the promise of being spoiled - and her spoilt behavior soon caused problems in the community!

50. Allison Balson - NOW

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Allison is not only an actress, but a singer/songwriter too! Her best known TV role was on Little House, but she's also starred in several TV programs as well as films. The 53-year-old has also appeared in TV commercials, as well as winning the title of The Voice of the Ocean on an Emerald Princess Cruise.