Melissa Gilbert mourns ‘Little House on the Prairie’ star Michael Landon on his 90th birthday
What you need to know
- Melissa Gilbert paid tribute to him Little House on the Prairie co-star Michael Landon on what would have been his 90th birthday.
- Gilbert, who played Landon’s on-screen daughter Laura, said he helped raise her and taught her courage, humor and compassion.
- Landon died of pancreatic cancer in 1991 at the age of 54, after starring as Charles Ingalls on the series.
Melissa Gilbert mourned her Little House on the Prairie co-star, Michael Landon, in a touching tribute on what would have been his 90th birthday.
On Friday, October 30, the former child actress who played Laura Ingalls Wilder in the original film LHOTP The series was released on Instagram as a tribute to the actor who played her on-screen father, Charles “Pa” Ingalls.
“Ninety years. I wonder what you would think of that,” Gilbert, 62, began her update, which featured a carousel of photos of her and Landon. “I can almost hear your laugh, see that enchanting twinkle in your eyes, and feel your arms around me. I was just a little girl when you took my hand and changed my life forever.”
She continued, “You taught me so much more than how to be a professional. You taught me to be brave, to trust myself, to find humor in the most difficult times, and to lead with my heart.”
Additionally, Gilbert pointed out, “So much time has passed. The little girl with the braids now has silver in her hair. She’s a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, but she still lives in me, and she still misses you so much.”
THE When the heart calls The actress added, “I wish we could sit down together and reminisce about all the fun we had and the work we did. I wish we could say all the things we never had the chance to say. You weren’t my father, but you helped raise me. A lot of who I am started with you.”
Concluding his update, Gilbert wrote, “On what would have been your 90th birthday, I’m thinking less about how long you’ve been gone and more about what you have left. The legacy of your wonderful work, but more importantly, the legacy of the beautiful family you created. Oh, Mike, you would be so proud of them all. As for me, in my heart, I will always be that little girl rolling down a grassy hill, knowing you are there to catch me. Happy birthday, Dad I love you.
Landon died at age 54 in 1991 from pancreatic cancer.
Little House on the Prairie aired for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983. In addition to Gilbert and Landon, it starred Karen Grassle, Melissa Sue Anderson, Victor French, Katherine MacGregor, Richard Bull, Jonathan Gilbert, Kevin Hagen, Alison Arngrim, Dean Butler and others. A Little House on the Prairie reboot premiered in July, with an all-new cast.
Little House on the Prairiestreaming on Peacock; Little House on the Prairie reboot, streaming on Netflix
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