20+ Little House On The Prairie Details That Producers Wouldn’t Want Fans To Know

What comes to mind when you think of Little House on the Prairie? We bet you have some happy memories of watching the Ingalls’ adventures in Walnut Creek. But while the show itself was wonderfully heartwarming and earnest, not everything behind the scenes was so... well, wholesome. And in this list of shocking and tragic Little House secrets, we look at some of the things that the show's producers probably would have wanted to keep under wraps...

60. Michael Landon left his wife for the show’s makeup artist

Michael Landon made tabloid headlines when he ditched his wife for Little House crew member Cindy Clerico. And one of his co-stars certainly didn’t approve. An upset Melissa Gilbert cut all ties with Landon, and she only got back in touch after learning that her on-screen dad had been diagnosed with cancer.

59. Alison Arngrim wanted to date one of her co-stars

Alison Arngrim allegedly fell hard for Radames Pera, but sadly for her the feeling wasn’t mutual. The actor, who played John Sanderson in the hit period drama, believed that he was too old to date her. Perhaps this was just his way of letting Arngrim down gently, as their age gap was only two years...

58. Pa liked to show off his bod

Let’s face it: Charlie Ingalls was a bit of a babe. And he totally knew it. Actor Landon was proud of his buff bod, in fact, and was happy to show some skin for the show. That’s probably why whenever Pa got hurt, it most often required the removal of his shirt.

57. Nellie’s actress auditioned for three different roles

As Nellie, Alison Arngrim created a character everyone loved to hate. But what may surprise fans is the fact that Arngrim originally auditioned for the role of Laura and, later, for Mary. It wasn’t until she auditioned for awful Nellie, however, that she closed the deal.

56. The show gave Jason Bateman his first gig

Jason Bateman is now regarded as one of Hollywood’s most popular leading actors. But he was a complete unknown when he was cast as James Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie’s seventh season. In fact, the hit historical drama was Bateman’s first ever professional acting gig. What a way to get your start!

55. Melissa Gilbert had her first-ever kiss on screen

Your first kiss is awkward enough without having to do it on camera. But that’s the unfortunate situation a 15-year-old Melissa Gilbert faced when she was required to pucker up with Dean Butler. It didn’t help, either, that Butler was eight years older. Oh, and he had a lot of stubble, too. Itchy!

54. Michael Landon was a practical joker

Although he appeared the height of respectability on camera, Michael Landon wasn’t afraid to get silly once the director shouted cut. He’d regularly engage in games of chase with the younger members of the cast! And his mischievous nature appeared to rub off on Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim. The pair once covered one of the crew’s toilet seats entirely in plastic wrap. Sneaky!

53. Linwood Boomer created a classic sitcom

After his time as Adam Kendall on Little House on the Prairie, Linwood Boomer decided to move behind the camera. And he did pretty well at it, too! He served as a producer and writer on several hit shows, in fact. But his most impressive achievement? Creating one of the 2000s’ most popular TV comedies – the madcap Malcolm in the Middle.

52. Nellie's hair was more than uncomfortable

18. After a few episodes, Nellie wore a wig: The problem? Metal combs and pins were used to fasten it to Alison's head. These dug into her scalp, resulting in bleeding.

51. A love story was scrapped due to lack of chemistry

At one time, Mary Ingalls and John Sanderson were supposed to become husband and wife. But there was just one problem. The actors behind the characters, Melissa Sue Anderson and Radames Pera, had such little chemistry on screen that writers were left with no option but to abandon this storyline. Instead, they gave Mary a different love interest at the blind school she attended.

50. Michael Landon laughed like a girl

Apparently, Landon wasn’t always the macho figure he presented on screen. In fact, according to Alison Arngrim, the leading man would often laugh like a little girl. “You could hear him for miles,” the actress once told Closer magazine.

49. Michael Landon had a novel method of getting the child actors to cry

Crying on cue can be pretty tricky. Just try it for yourself! But Landon did his best to make the younger cast members shed a tear whenever the show required it. Melissa Gilbert once revealed that the actor would get misty-eyed himself before going face-to-face with her and asking, “Do you know how much I love you?” And, apparently, this would do the trick.

48. It was Ronald Reagan’s favorite show

Little House on the Prairie was reportedly one of Ronald Reagan’s favorite shows on television. And it turns out that the feeling was mutual – on Michael Landon’s part, anyway. The actor was reportedly a proud Republican, and he is said to have supported both of Reagan’s successful presidential election campaigns.

47. Katherine McGregor was a disruptive influence on set

Apparently, Katherine McGregor fancied herself as a bit of a director! In her memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, Alison Arngrim described her older co-star as nice but disruptive thanks to her habit of telling other actors what to do. McGregor was almost fired, in fact, after clashing with the show’s real directors. Luckily for her, her villainous character was deemed to be too invaluable to let go.

46. Its explosive finale was born out of pettiness

The 1984 TV movie Little House: The Last Farewell concluded in unlikely explosive style. But the blowing up of Walnut Grove was down to practical rather than narrative reasons. Oh, and a little pettiness, too! You see, the producers decided it would be much easier to return the set to its earlier state with a controlled demolition. This also suited Landon, who apparently wasn’t willing for the set to be used by other productions.

45. There was tension between Karen Grassle and Michael Landon

In her memoir, The Way I See It, Melissa Sue Anderson claimed that her on-screen mother and father didn’t get along. Apparently, Grassle didn’t appreciate her character being submissive to Landon’s and was jealous of the power that the actor held. “Theirs was not an equal relationship,” Anderson wrote. Yikes.

44. Melissa Gilbert dated a rock wildman

Away from the Little House set, Gilbert definitely wasn’t as wholesome as her character Laura! The actress was a regular presence on the Hollywood party scene, in fact. And she dated several high-profile names, too. Alongside Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe, Gilbert once stepped out with wild rock star Billy Idol.

43. One actor played five different characters on the show

Little House on the Prairie certainly got the most out of E.J. Andre. Incredibly, the actor played no fewer than five different characters across seven episodes of the hit show. Alongside Jed Cooper, Matthew Simms and St. Peter, the versatile Andre also assumed the roles of Zachariah and Amos Thoms. Talk about range!

42. Shannen Doherty slept with Melissa Gilbert’s husband

One of the juiciest revelations from Melissa Gilbert’s memoir Prairie Tale concerned Shannen Doherty. The Beverly Hills, 90210 star, who joined the show’s cast in the ninth season as Jenny Wilder, apparently jumped into bed with the actress’ husband at the time. After being confronted about the incident by Gilbert, Doherty reportedly responded, “Well, you know I always wanted to be you.” Somehow, we imagine that didn’t go down well...

41. Two episodes’ plotlines are identical

Little House on the Prairie’s scriptwriting team appeared to believe in recycling. In the first season’s “Doctor’s Lady,” Doc Baker falls head over heels for a younger woman, but the age gap is just too great for him to pursue the relationship any further. Well, if that sounds familiar, then you’d be right. Mr. Edwards then goes through the exact same scenario in the ninth season episode “Love.”

40. Michael Landon persuaded Karen Grassle to change her stage name

Karen Grassle reportedly bagged the role of Ma Ingalls with ease. However, her on-screen husband believed she still needed to make one significant change before showing up on set. Indeed, Landon felt that Grassle’s stage name, Gabriel Tree, was too bohemian and encouraged the actress to use her more traditional real moniker.

39. The costumes caused heatstroke

The Little House bonnets and petticoats may have looked charming and lovely, but wearing all that gear while filming in 90-degree heat was no picnic. In fact, the actress who played Nellie Oleson once collapsed from heatstroke.

38. The set may have been contaminated

Sadly, five different members of the cast developed cancer – with four of them, including Landon, ultimately dying from the disease. And there has long been speculation that the Little House set was contaminated by radioactive waste from the Santa Susana nuclear meltdown in 1959.

37. Melissa Sue Anderson wasn’t buddies with the rest of the crew

While most of the cast members happily recall the many friendships they made on set, the actress who played Mary isn’t remembered so fondly. Indeed, while Laura and Mary may have been close on the show, in real life Melissa Gilbert found Melissa Sue Anderson to be conceited. Alison Arngrim, meanwhile, dubbed Anderson a “frenemy” in a 2010 interview with Fox News.

36. Pa didn’t like Mrs. Oleson

Mrs. Oleson made a career out of being the uppity woman who no one liked, so it’s perhaps not that surprising that she wasn’t that beloved in real life, either. Not only did Katherine MacGregor clash with the actor who played her husband, Nels (Richard Bull), but she also apparently continually irritated Landon as well.

35. Every meal was canned Dinty Moore

When it came to dinner time on the prairie, it always looked like Ma Ingalls had slaved over the hot stove, cooking up whatever fresh kill Pa had brought home. But in truth, every meal this clan devoured came from a can. Specifically, a can of Dinty Moore beef stew.

34. Pa’s hair color wasn’t natural

One thing’s for sure about Michael Landon: he had a lustrous mane. But what many don’t know is that his head of hair went gray in his twenties. As a result, then, he used Clairol Medium Ash Brown dye for years to keep his locks looking youthful.

33. Willie was Laura’s real-life brother

Many of us know that the real-life sister of Melissa Gilbert – who played Laura Ingalls Wilder in the show – is Sara Gilbert, otherwise known as Darlene from Roseanne. But few people know that her real-life brother, Jonathan Gilbert, also appeared on Little House as the bratty Willie Oleson.

32. Pa had to wear platform shoes

Pa Ingalls may have been larger than life on the show, but he was actually on the smaller side in terms of stature in real life. Standing at only 5’9”, Landon added an extra four inches to his height by wearing lifts in his shoes.

31. A set of twins played the youngest Ingalls girl

Carrie Ingalls was the adorable youngest sister on the show, but many don’t know that there were two actresses responsible for her character. Yes, she was played by identical twins, since Californian labor laws would only allow very young children to work for short periods. And so at the age of three, Sidney and Lindsay Greenbush shared the role and alternated their time on the set.

30. Pa liked a smoke or two

Michael Landon was a man of many vices, and smoking was certainly one of them. In fact, Pa carried cigarettes in his work gloves and would chain smoke between takes.

29. Nellie’s hair was fake

Nellie Oleson was famous for her fat, blonde sausage curls. But many viewers probably didn’t realize she was wearing a specially-made wig. Moreover, while the style became famous as “Nellie Oleson curls,” it came at a price – the wig was incredibly painful to wear and made Alison Arngrim’s scalp bleed. Ouch!

28. Carrie’s tumble in the opening sequence was real

The day the crew were filming the opening sequence, the director awoke one of the twins who played Carrie from a nap and sent her running down the hill. During the shoot, though, the little girl groggily tripped and fell in a truly adorable fashion that was forever immortalized on film.

27. Pa was Jewish

Fans of the show might have assumed Michael Landon was Christian, as many episodes discussed Christian issues and morals. But Landon was Jewish: his real name was Eugene Maurice Orowitz.

26. Nellie and Laura were best buds

One of the best parts of the show was the ongoing rivalry between nasty Nellie Oleson and sweet Laura Ingalls. But in real life, the two girls were the best of friends and adored each other. They even had slumber parties together!

25. Sean Penn was on Little House

We now think of him as the man who was once married to Madonna, who won an Oscar for Milk and who sometimes interviews drug lords on the run. But back in the day, young Sean Penn got his start by playing an extra on Little House.

24. Pa recycled Bonanza scripts

Before he became Pa Ingalls, Michael Landon used to write and act on the TV western Bonanza. And so when he began to do Little House and fell short of ideas, he simply plucked some of the old plotlines from his days as Little Joe.

23. Laura had to disguise her voluptuous chest

Melissa Gilbert began to blossom into a woman well before Laura Ingalls did, and it caused a few wardrobe problems. To hide her burgeoning new bod, then, Gilbert had to bind herself to keep things, ahem, under wraps.

22. Melissa Gilbert once stepped into the shoes of Ma

Melissa Gilbert may have made her name playing Laura Ingalls. But when the show was transformed into a musical in the late 2000s, the actress had to switch roles. She was too old to step back into Laura’s shoes, you see. Instead, she was cast as Ma in the sold-out Minneapolis production.

21. The cast and crew drank a lot on set

It appears that life on even the pretend prairie was hard, as many cast members imbibed during filming. In fact, together they’d plow through at least two cases of Coors beer in 24 hours. Even Pa Ingalls himself – played by Michael Landon – liked a nip of whiskey in the morning and was a known heavy drinker.

20. Walnut Grove is real

Yes, Walnut Grove is real! Laura Ingalls Wilder used to live there herself. And while the city obviously looks a little different from how it did back in the author’s day, it’s still adorably small. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of fewer than 900 people.

19. It only picked up one acting Emmy nod

Little House on the Prairie earned 16 Emmy nominations during its run. Well deserved, we say! Weirdly, though, only one of these was for acting. That’s right: while the show’s music and cinematography were regularly recognized by the Emmys, Melissa Sue Anderson was the only cast member with a nod at the prestigious awards. The actress was singled out for the storyline in which Mary goes blind.

18. Scottie MacGregor injured herself after falling off a horse

Scottie MacGregor sure suffered for her art! You see, the actress was injured for real when her character, the gossipmonger Mrs. Oleson, fell off a horse. That meant a fully costumed stand-in had to finish the scene. We hope it was all worth it...

17. Kevin Hagen fought for the actors’ rights

TV stars today can earn seven-figure sums for just one episode. Wowzer! But things were different back in Little House on the Prairie’s day. That led Kevin Hagen – who played resident doctor Hiram Baker – to persuade NBC bosses to dish out more money. Sadly for the cast, though, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

16. Michael Landon regularly cast his daughter

Michael Landon didn’t appear to be worried about accusations of nepotism. Or if he was, it still didn’t stop the star from giving his daughter Leslie a whirl on the show! Etta Plum, Pam and Marge were just a few of the minor characters the youngster played.

15. Melissa Gilbert has had health problems

Poor Melissa Gilbert has had to go under the knife four times for work on her spine. The actress’ first surgery was in 2001, and she went on to have similar procedures in 2010, 2016 and 2020. But Gilbert’s remained admirably upbeat. As she prepared for the last surgery, she told her Instagram followers, “I’m channeling my inner Halfpint for this one. The one who believes anything is possible.”

14. The show may have predicted COVID-19

Did you have a Little House binge in 2020? Then you may have noticed the parallels between life as it is today and how it’s portrayed in the episodes “Plague” and “Quarantine.” Both eps focused on epidemics that hit Walnut Grove. Even Melissa Gilbert acknowledged the similarities, telling the New York Post, “Even on that tiny scale, so much of what they were doing is now applicable.” Maybe we could learn something from the Ingalls...

13. Albert’s character was Michael Landon’s idea

When Matthew Labyorteaux joined the Little House on the Prairie family as adoptee Albert, he apparently had his on-screen father to thank. That’s right: Michael Landon decided the show needed a bit more testosterone, and so he made the decision to give Ma and Pa a son.

12. Karen Grassle based Caroline on her mom

Karen Grassle didn’t look far for inspiration when it came to playing the show’s matriarch. In 2020 she told Closer, “I based her on my mother. If you read [Laura Ingalls Wilder’s] books and see photos, Caroline was very tough and sturdy. My mother rode a horse barefoot to school, and as a young woman, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse!” Sounds like she’d fit in well in Walnut Grove!

11. Its cast included eight Oscar winners

Little House on the Prairie may not have picked up many major awards for its acting, but it still had its fair share of talent. You see, several cast members had previously won – or would go on to win – their craft’s ultimate prize. No fewer than eight previous or future Oscar winners appeared on the show over the years. They included Ernest Borgnine, Eileen Heckart, Burl Ives and Sean Penn.

10. MacGregor missed the finale to go on a religious retreat

Ever wondered why Mrs. Oleson doesn’t appear in the finale? Well, Scottie MacGregor had been on a religious retreat. The actress had converted to Hinduism as a way of dealing with her alcoholism. And even though the trip clashed with filming, McGregor believed that getting away from it all in India was more important to her at the time.

9. Victor French left the show for a short-lived sitcom

After playing Isaiah Edwards for Little House’s first three seasons, Victor French decided he wanted to try something new. So, he trudged away from Walnut Grove to showcase his comic timing in small-town sitcom Carter Country. The ABC show didn’t make it to a third season, however, leaving French at a loose end. But luckily for him, Landon and co. welcomed him back with open arms.

8. Landon didn’t want to pay Grassle any more money

As executive producer, Landon was also responsible for a few behind-the-scenes decisions. And his tight control of the budget didn’t go down well with his on-screen wife. In a 2017 chat with Closer, Karen Grassle revealed, “When we were in the top 10 [TV shows] and I said, ‘Gee, it is time to renegotiate my contract,’ Michael did not want to pay me. It was very difficult.” We bet!

7. They filmed on The Wizard of Oz’s set

A couple of the cast couldn’t contain their excitement when they discovered that The Wizard of Oz had been filmed at the very same studio as Little House. In 2017 Alison Arngrim told Closer, “They were ripping up the floor of the set, and what Melissa [Gilbert] and I see, lying beneath, was the Yellow Brick Road! Melissa and I went nuts. We were dancing around, singing the song, pretending to be Dorothy!”

6. There were several test runs of the house explosion

The show famously concluded in spectacular style when the Ingalls’ family home blew up. Thankfully, the producers did their research beforehand to ensure that the big explosion went off without a hitch. In an interview with The New York Times, Landon revealed, “We did quite a few tests first to make sure nobody would get hurt. So when we finally blew everything up, it went off like clockwork.”

5. One of its stars kept their homestead

Stan Ivar – who played John Carter – loved his character’s home so much that he actually kept it! Yes, the actor managed to disassemble the farmhouse and take it back to his own place, where he stored it in his barn. Ivar later attempted to give the homestead to the real Walnut Grove but was ultimately thwarted by Little House creator Ed Friendly.

4. Baby Grace published a faith-based book about the show

Wendi Turnbaugh was still in diapers when she was cast as Grace. Nearly half a century later, though, the actress decided to spill the beans. She penned a book that mixed her Little House on the Prairie experiences with testaments to her faith. Turnbaugh was inspired to write A Prairie Devotional while recuperating from a tumor in her brain.

3. Nellie has been adopted as a gay icon

Alison Arngrim is fully on board with the LGBT community adopting Nellie as a gay icon. She’s shown up at DragCon in Los Angeles, staged her one-woman show at an Orlando gay resort and been heavily involved with AIDS awareness charities. The actress, who had a gay father, told The New York Times, “I turned toward the people who were still clapping the loudest for her.”

2. There’s a Little House on the Prairie museum

Ever wondered what pioneer life was actually like? Well, you can head right over to the Little House on the Prairie museum in the very real Walnut Grove. Yes, really! There, you can even see a replica of the – very no-frills – house Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up in.

1. Grassle was flat broke when she landed her role

Caroline Ingalls came just in the nick of time for the woman who played her. You see, Grassle had barely a cent to her name when she landed the part that would launch her to fame. In 2020 the actress explained to Closer, “I had spent a year in England, working with a Shakespeare company and teaching, and came back to the States flat broke.” Talk about a stroke of luck!