Melissa Gilbert

Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s, appearing in numerous commercials and guest starring roles on television.

Melissa Ellen Gilbert (born May 8, 1964) is an American actress.

Gilbert was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 8, 1964, to a newly engaged couple, Kathy Wood and David Darlington, and placed for adoption immediately after birth.

She was adopted one day later by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane, the daughter of The Honeymooners creator Harry Crane.

The Gilberts later adopted a son, Jonathan, who co-starred on Little House on the Prairie.

Gilbert's parents divorced when she was 6 years old.

The pilot was shot in 1973 and was a ratings success.

Almost a year later, Gilbert began filming the series.

Gilbert became extremely close to the Landon family after her adoptive father died.

However, a rift developed between Michael Landon and Gilbert after the revelation of Landon's affair with Little House young makeup artist, Cindy Clerico.

From 1974 to 1983, she starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls (played by Michael Landon) on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie.

During the run of Little House, Gilbert appeared in several television films, including The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker.

As an adult, she continued her career mainly in television films.

Her mother then married attorney Harold Abeles, and together they had biological daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles (the actress known professionally as Sara Gilbert) on January 29, 1975.

On February 13, 1976, Paul Gilbert died.

Although 11-year-old Melissa was told that he had suffered a stroke, she found out years later that he had been a VA patient who dealt with constant pain and that he had taken his own life.

The marriage of Barbara and Harold Abeles later ended in divorce.

According to her biography, Gilbert was raised in her adoptive mother's Jewish religion, but did not have any formal religious education or conversion ceremony.

Gilbert's earliest television appearances were in dozens of commercials, including one for Alpo dog food with Lorne Greene (Michael Landon's television father on Bonanza).

She also attended school with Landon's daughter, Leslie Landon.

It was Leslie who informed her that she had won the role of Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, beating out over 500 child actresses for the part.

Gilbert had limited contact with Landon after Little House ended during the 1983–84 season.

She starred as Jean Donovan in the biopic Choices of the Heart (1983), and as Anna Sheridan in three episodes of Babylon 5 with then-husband Boxleitner in 1996.

She also provided the voice of Batgirl on the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series, though she would be replaced by voice actress Tara Strong for the series' follow-up The New Batman Adventures.

For her contribution to the television industry, Gilbert received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6429 Hollywood Blvd in 1985.

Her then-fiancé, Rob Lowe, was present with her when her star was unveiled during the ceremony.

Seven years later, she was contacted by Landon's family and upon news of his condition, paid him a heartfelt visit following his May 9, 1991, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson where he discussed his pancreatic cancer.

She visited Landon at his Malibu home where he was, by then, bedridden, and they spent the afternoon together.

Landon died one week later.

When Gilbert gave birth to her son with second husband Bruce Boxleitner on October 6, 1995, they named him Michael, in honor of Landon..

Gilbert has continued to work regularly, mainly in television.

In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Gilbert served as President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 2001 to 2005.

In 2006, Gilbert appeared as Shari Noble, a patient looking to reconstruct her nipples after committing zoophilia with her dog in a season four episode of Nip/Tuck.

In 2008 and through 2009, Gilbert played Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in the musical adaptation of Little House on the Prairie.

This world premiere production at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis was directed by Francesca Zambello and also starred Kara Lindsay as Laura.

From 2009 to 2010, Gilbert appeared as Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in the touring production of Little House on the Prairie, the Musical.

In 2012, she was a contestant on season fourteen of the popular reality dance competition show Dancing with the Stars on ABC.

She briefly ran for U.S. Congress in 2016, but eventually withdrew her candidacy.

She is also the author of a few memoirs, a children's book, and a cookbook.