Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon’s Adorable Father-Daughter Relationship: ‘It Was Special’
The ‘Little House on the Prairie’ stars maintained a sweet friendship for years
Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon had the sweetest of father-daughter relationships on-screen, but that connection didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling. Melissa Gilbert portrayed Laura Ingalls in the hit western series, Little House on the Prairie, from 1974 to 1983, alongside Michael Landon, who starred as her father, Charles Ingalls.
But it wasn’t only during filming that they maintained the father-daughter bond as Michael Landon, who died in 1991 of pancreatic cancer, stepped in as a real-life father figure for Gilbert in her early years. Learn more about their loving connection and what Gilbert has said about him.
Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon’s first meeting
The two stars first met during Gilbert’s audition, when she was only nine years old. While Gilbert was fairly new to the life of an actress, Landon had been a tried and true star, having starred on Bonanza from 1959 until 1973. Gilbert quickly took to Landon and became comfortable with him.
“What I remember the most from my audition was meeting Michael Landon,” Gilbert shared. “[He had] this unbelievable glow that was captivating… He made me laugh and feel instantly comfortable and there was something between us that I had never experienced in an audition room. It was special and it was instant.”
Once she was cast to play Landon’s daughter, their bond only grew stronger. Gilbert shared that she felt close to him.
“Michael Landon was like a father figure to many of us, obviously, and a very, very important influence in my life,” Gilbert shared during the show’s 50th anniversary cast reunion. “My own father passed away when I was 11. And I had been working with Michael for two years at that point, and he really sort of stepped in and kind of watched over me in a much more paternal way.”
Melissa Gilbert on what Michael Landon taught her
Aside from taking on that role for Gilbert, Landon also taught his on-screen daughter about acting and working on a set. The actress shared that Landon “instilled in me in particular a love for the jobs of every single person on a set — from craft services to greensmen, to wranglers, to grips and electricians and script supervisors.”
She added, “I mean, editors, everyone. And really, if you remove one of those people from that position, you don’t get the show that you want… Everyone has value, and everyone’s job is just as important.”
How Landon got Gilbert to laugh during photoshoots
Growing up in the spotlight isn’t the easiest thing for a nine-year-old to do and Landon could see that, which is why he did everything he could to make Gilbert comfortable. One of those things was to make her laugh during photoshoots, something Gilbert has said she didn’t enjoy.
“I don’t like doing still photography, so it can be uncomfortable for me,” she explained. “But as a kid, it was even worse, and Michael hated it as much as I did. So, he would do everything in his power to make me laugh while we were shooting pictures … I’m laughing, and it’s because he had just taken one of my pigtails and shoved it up my nose.”
Gilbert had a hard time after losing Landon
The former on-screen father and daughter remained close friends until the end, but Gilbert recalls going through a very difficult time after Landon passed. She explained that she was “non-functional for quite a while” after losing him.
“I remember drinking a lot of vanilla malts for some reason,” Gilbert explained. “I don’t know why that sticks in my brain. My family surrounded me and kept me going. I had a small child at home to take care of.”
Gilbert added, “It also helped me a lot to dedicate myself towards helping Michael Landon’s family get through this too, to support them in their grief. It got me out of my head…the pain softened and eventually became easier to deal with.”
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