What happened to the Little House On The Prairie cast? The very varied fates of its stars - from ugly fallouts and sexual assault claims to retraining in finance - as show gets a Netflix reboot

It was the ultimate feel-good show of the Seventies that followed the lives of the tight-knit Ingalls family as they left Wisconsin to settle on the American frontier.

Now five decades on, Little House On The Prairie has returned to screens with a Netflix reboot, which dropped on Thursday. 

The original iteration of the Western historical drama aired for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert.

While the new series sees Home and Away's Luke Bracey take on the role of Pa, and Days of Our Lives star Alice Halsey star as Laura.  

To mark the new Netflix adaptation, and for fans eager to experience the original classic, Great TV, Freeview Channel 34, is airing the Seventies show throughout July. 

So what became of the original cast of Little House On The Prairie? 

Charles 'Pa' Ingalls – Michael Landon

Charles Ingalls was played by Michael Landon, who had already found fame in Bonanza before taking on the role that would define his career.

Landon went on to create and star in Highway to Heaven, which also airs on Great TV, after Little House ended. 

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991 and passed away just months later, on July 1 that year, at the age of 54.

Following his death, Landon's co-stars came out to speak against the wholesome family man image he portrayed on screen. 

In her 2021 autobiography, Landon's on-screen wife Karen Grassle, accused the late TV star of refusing to pay her a 'fair wage', mocking her body and making 'disgusting' jokes about sex.

'He was very highly strung, but he was carrying the weight of the show on his shoulders,' she penned.

He could also be cruel, mocking her body and facial expressions to crew members — but Grassle didn't feel she could call him out.

'It was almost like I was frozen,' she said. 

'But, as a woman in the 1970s film industry, I was so accustomed to these putdowns, it never occurred to me to sharply rebuke him. I kept up the professionalism. 

'I'd be the good girl, play the part and hope.'

What's more, he made crude remarks, using nasty language like 'c***' on set and making 'disgusting jokes about how a woman smelled after sex.' 

Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls – Karen Grassle

Karen Grassle, now 84, brought warmth and quiet strength to the role of Caroline Ingalls. 

She has continued to work in theatre and film since the show finished. 

Grassle published a memoir Bright Lights, Prairie Dust, reflecting on her life and time on the show, in which she took aim at Landon. 

She explained she had previously distanced herself from Little House On The Prairie, sharing: 'I had limited my interactions with fans very much. I really didn't go to many events. I didn't hang out with everybody. I separated myself.' 

Yet when the memoir came out in 2021, she realised: 'I've got to get out there. So I started with social media and I started going out to these events. I was astonished at what I learned about people's affection for the character of Caroline.'

She added: 'I had no idea the depth of affection that people had for this character. It just filled my heart because I worked so hard to make something special out of that character, and there were many days that I did not look forward to going to work.'

In 2024, Grassle joined fellow cast members to mark the show's 50th anniversary, delighting fans with an appearance that proved her connection to the role remains as strong as ever. 

Discussing the show, she shared: 'People are finding values, comfort and a message that they long for. And I think, you know, it's just simple human decency.'

Laura Ingalls Wilder – Melissa Gilbert

The show's beating heart, Laura Ingalls was played by Melissa Gilbert, 62, in every single episode across the show's run.

Gilbert continued acting long after the series ended, going on to serve as president of the Screen Actors Guild and later competing on Dancing with the Stars. 

She also starred in Babylon 5 in the 90s and Nip Tuck in the early Noughties.

Off screen, she founded the lifestyle brand Modern Prairie and has spoken openly about how deeply the show continues to resonate with audiences of all generations.

In 2013, Gilbert married The West Wing star Timothy Busfield. 

Busfield, 69, was arrested in January on allegations of child sexual abuse, after being accused of inappropriately touching two twin boys on the set of The Cleaning Lady while filming in Albuquerque between November 2022 and spring 2024. He has denied all charges.

Busfield has since been indicted on four counts of sexual contact with a child by a grand jury.

Gilbert has been highly supportive of her husband. 

Shortly after he was booked on charges of criminal sexual contact with a child under age 13 in January, which he pleaded not guilty to, she told the court that he is 'my love, my rock, my partner in business and life.'

'Tim has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known. He has dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others. He starts every day with kindness and compassion,' she added.

Mary Ingalls – Melissa Sue Anderson

Eldest daughter, Mary Ingalls was played by Melissa Sue Anderson. 

Her storyline saw her character lose her sight as a teenager, becoming one of the show's most memorable arcs.

After Little House, Anderson continued acting in shows including Murder, She Wrote and Veronica Mars. 

She later settled in Canada, where she raised her family, and wrote her own memoir about her time on the show.

The siblings – Mary and Laura – had a close bond during the episodes, but their relationship was quite different behind-the-scenes. 

'I honestly do not have a lot of memories of the two of us,' Anderson told The Atlanta Journal Constitution back in 2010. 'We were very, very different.' 

One year earlier in her 2009 memoir A Prairie Tale, Gilbert also offered some insight into how their sisterly bond remained on-screen only. 

'We played sisters and were only a couple years apart in age, but from the start, for whatever reason, we never had a real sisterly kinship,' the actress penned in her book, per Entertainment Weekly. 

'There was a distance to her, a coldness, though sometimes I wonder if it was just that I never knew how to get her to let me in.'

Gilbert added that it had also been difficult 'to get along' with Anderson while on set. 

She further reflected on her former co-star in 2014 during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. 

At one point when the topic was brought up, the When Calls The Heart actress explained: 'I'm going to phrase this in the gentlest way I can by saying that Melissa Sue Anderson and I, were just not too awfully close, ever. Even for a moment.' 

Gilbert went on to say that Anderson had also been 'hateful' as well as 'horrid' and 'mean.'

'She hated me. She hit me. She knocked me off the wagon… literally elbowed me off the covered wagon.'  

Carrie Ingalls – Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush

Identical twins Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, 56, shared the role of youngest Ingalls daughter Carrie, having landed the part at just three years old. 

Though Carrie was a quieter presence than her older sisters, the twins brought a natural warmth to the role that made her a firm favourite with viewers, and their scenes with Michael Landon remain some of the most fondly remembered in the series. 

The sisters alternated episodes throughout the show's run, a common practice for child actors at the time, and the seamless swap was a testament to both their natural ability and the skill of the production team. 

The sisters have largely stepped away from the spotlight since the show ended, with one appearing in a single film shortly afterwards, before leaving acting behind altogether.

Nellie Oleson – Alison Arngrim

Nellie Oleson, the Ingalls family's spoilt and scheming rival, was brought to life by Alison Arngrim, 64, who became one of the show's most recognisable faces. 

Arngrim has spoken warmly about the role in interviews over the years, once saying that playing Nellie gave her a freedom she never expected, the character's gleeful wickedness becoming something of a liberation for the young actress. 

She has remained a familiar voice for fans of the show, regularly appearing at conventions and reunions, and published a memoir, Confessions of a Prairie B***h.

In it she reflected candidly on her experiences on set, her complicated childhood and the lasting impact the show had on her life.

She also revealed the role made it free to break into different genres, saying she wanted to shift gears and play the 'cute sexy girl everyone would love,' but producers wouldn't give her a chance.

Arngrim shared: 'But no, they weren't going to give Nellie Oleson that job, ever. I was very typecast. And people agreed I could act. 

'I remember casting directors going, "Oh no, no, you're fine. You're very good every time," and I'm like, "Really? Then what's the problem, guys?"

'It was difficult. So many people go to show business [and] people love them, and here I had worked for years, and everyone hated me. So that was really weird.'

Albert Quinn Ingalls – Matthew Labyorteaux

Matthew Labyorteaux, 59, joined the show partway through as adopted son Albert, quickly becoming a firm favourite with viewers. 

Albert's storylines were among the show's most dramatic, including a powerful addiction arc in later series that was considered groundbreaking television for its time, and Labyorteaux's performance drew considerable praise. 

He has spoken warmly about his time on the series in interviews over the years, describing the cast as a genuine family and crediting the experience with shaping who he became as a person. 

He remains a beloved figure among the show's devoted fanbase.

Today, Labyorteaux is still acting and writing screenplays, and he also opened an online acting school, Working Actors School.

He said of the course: 'You don't have to be in Hollywood, and that's kind of the way the industry is now. It's for adults, it's for kids, and we have different classes for different age groups. It's a great school if you're looking to start out.'

Almanzo Wilder - Dean Butler 

Dean Butler, 70, joined the show in season six playing heartthrob and Laura's love interest, Almanzo Wilder. 

He became an instant fan favourite, with Butler revealing that he's still approached about the role today. 

Butler shared: 'There are so many women who approach me and say, ‘You were my first crush. You were the first guy I fell in love with.

'We all have those people, and to be one of those people for so many young women is really incredibly touching to me.'

Butler was involved in one show controversy, kissing on-screen love interest Melissa Gilbert when she was 15 and he was 23. 

The moment proved to be upsetting to Gilbert's mother, Barbara Abeles, who began sobbing so loudly near the set that Michael Landon, leading actor and director, had to abruptly halt filming with a shout of 'cut.'

Dean later revealed that he and Gilbert remained close after the show and she had previously spoke about being uncomfortable over the kiss.

'You were a man, a grown-up man with a car and an apartment,' he recalled Melissa confiding in him. 'I was a really young teenager… I was still wearing Mary Janes… I wasn’t allowed to shave my legs and I’d never even been on a date.'

After his success on the show, Butler went on to star in The New Gidget, playing Jeff 'Moondoggie' Griffin, as well as playing Buffy’s father, Hank, in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

He also worked in the theatre, playing Rapunzel’s Prince in the Broadway production of Into the Woods. 

Butler is married to actress Katherine Cannon, who played Felice Martin on the television series Beverly Hills 90210.

Harriet Oleson - Katherine MacGregor

Katherine MacGregor, born Dorlee Deane MacGregor, played Harriet Oleson in all nine series of the popular NBC TV show, appearing in 153 episodes in all. 

Harriet and daughter Nellie, played by Alison Arngrim, were known for their gossiping and mean-spirited behavior, which served to highlight the wholesomeness of the Ingalls family.

In 1981 MacGregor told the Santa Cruz Sentinel: 'I look for the humor of Mrs Oleson. She was originally painted as just black-and-white mean.

'Anyone that mean has to be a fool. So I began mixing farce into it. I think the audience counts on seeing Mrs Oleson fall on her fanny.'

After her long-running role on Little House On The Prairie she acted on screen just one more time, in a 2014 short film.

MacGregor had two short lived marriages. 

The first, to actor Bert Remsen, was from 1949 to 1950. The second, to actor and director Edward G Kaye-Martin, ended in 1970 after less than a year. She did not have any children.

MacGregor passed away in November 2018 at the age of 93.  

The actress died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's retirement home in Woodland Hills, California.

Nels Oleson - Richard Bull

Richard Bull played shopkeeper Nels Oleson in long-running US TV series.

His quiet, long-suffering character was saddled with an overbearing wife Harriet and spoilt daughter Nellie. 

Prior to his appearance on the show he was already known for his roles in the 1968 version of The Thomas Crown Affair and multiple parts in Mission: Impossible and The Streets of San Francisco.

His last credited screen appearance came in 2011, as an 'elderly farmer' in TV series Boss. 

Bull died in February 2014 of pneumonia in hospital.

He had been living in the Motion Picture and Television Fund's hospital with his wife, actress Barbara Collentine, which is also where on-screen wife MacGregor lived out her final years. 

Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie, paid tribute to Bull as a 'calm, sensible and rational' man that 'everyone loved so much.' 

She added: 'People are posting [condolences] in six different languages on my Facebook page.' 

Isaiah Edwards - Victor French

Victor French appeared on the show intermittently as 'wildcat' Isaiah Edwards before being promoted to main cast member in its final season. 

He also directed a few episodes of the show before appearing in three of the franchise's films. 

Prior to landing the role he had started his television career as a stuntman in mostly Westerns and anthology show. He also starred opposite Elvis Presley in the 1969 Western, Charro!

After Little House On The Prairie came to an end he reunited with Michael Landon in the fantasy drama Highway to Heaven.

He passed away in June 1989 just three months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The series finale of Highway to Heaven aired two months after.

Willie Oleson – Jonathan Gilbert

Jonathan Gilbert, brother of co-star Melissa Gilbert in real life, played mischievous younger Oleson sibling Willie.

After the show ended, Gilbert left acting behind entirely, moving to New York to study finance.

He now works as a stockbroker, having previously reflected that his time on the show remains one of the best experiences of his life.

The original 1974 version of Little House On The Prairie airs throughout July on Great TV, Freeview channel 34.

Episodes air from 8am and 9am through to 6pm most days, with multiple screenings throughout the day. 

The two-hour pilot airs at 3pm on Sunday, July 12 and at 4pm on Thursday, July 17, making it easy to catch the very beginning of the Ingalls family story.

The Little House On The Prairie reboot is also available to stream now on Netflix.