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Michael Landon played the role of family man "Charles Ingalls" in the series Little House on the Prairie. Being one of the show's leading characters, "Charles" will always be one of the most memorable!
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After leaving the cast of Little House on the Prairie, Michael moved on to star in the Highway to Heaven as well as other TV movies like Us. Landon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991 leading to his death just a few months later.
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Karen Grassle played the role of "Caren Ingalls", also known as "Ma", in this Western classic.
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Karen Grassle was already a successful actress before joining the cast of Little House on the Prairie. After her role in the show ended, she ended up starring in several movies including Wyatt Earp and Harry's War. She currently lives and San Francisco where she works in local theater. We're happy to see she is still acting!
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Melissa Gilbert played the role of "Laura Ingalls". In fact, Melissa was able to out-act hundreds of different young actresses who auditioned for the role. Thank goodness she got it!
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Since her time on the show, Melissa has appeared in several TV movies. Fun Fact: Gilbert also served as the president of the Screen Actor's Guild for 2 terms. One of her last TV appearances was on season 14 of 'Dancing With The Stars'. She also had a recurring role on the TV show 'Secrets and Lies' in 2015. Gilbert has been married to her husband, director, and actor Timothy Busfield, since 2013.
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Michael Landon offered Jason Bateman the part of "James Cooper Ingalls" when the boy was only twelve years old. Bateman played his part in such a great and authentic way, he soon swept the audience off their feet.
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Today Jason – who‘s married to Amanda Anka by the way – is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. Besides many other great films, he’s had big success with his movie Horrible Bosses. He recently starred in the Netflix original series Ozark, which released its final season in 2022.
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Melissa Sue Anderson played "Mary Ingalls," the oldest daughter of "Charles" and "Caroline Ingalls."
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Melissa Sue Anderson ended up taking home her second Emmy in 1980 for the ABC special Which Mother Is Mine? Melissa also published her first book "The Way I See It" back in 2011 where she talks all about her time on the set of Little House on the Prairie. She is currently living in Canada with her husband Michael Sloan and their two children.
The popular family show Little House on the Prairie was produced from 1974 till 1983. The show had millions of viewers and glued them to the television.
Over 11 years, 10 seasons were produced, amounting to a total of 210(!) episodes. In the upcoming pictures, you'll see how the former stars of the series have changed over the years and what they look like today!
