Melissa Gilbert Shares Her Birth Father’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Connection and Talks Growing Up on Set
Find out more about her biological parents and what her childhood was really like playing Laura Ingalls Wilder
Key Takeaways
- Melissa Gilbert's birth father has a unique connection to 'Little House'.
- Gilbert says growing up on set of the show was "like a really great summer camp".
- Gilbert learned good life lessons and family values by starring in the heartwarming show.
Melissa Gilbert spent a majority of her childhood growing up on the set of Little House on the Prairie, alongside her on-screen sister Melissa Sue Anderson and father, Michael Landon. But when she wasn’t portraying the most beloved character on television, Gilbert was just a child living and learning.
Not only did she have a close-knit “found family” on set, Melissa Gilbert also grew up with a deeply layered personal history that unfolded over time. As a baby, she was adopted by actors Paul Gilbert and Barbara Cowan, giving her an early life rooted in the entertainment world—an influence that likely helped shape her own path into acting.
Who were her biological parents?
Her biological parents were David Darlington, an advertising professional with a background in writing, and Kathy Wood, her birth mother. Gilbert was placed for adoption shortly after she was born and raised outside of her biological family, with little contact for much of her childhood.
As an adult, Gilbert eventually reconnected with her birth family and met both of her biological parents. While she did establish contact, the relationships did not evolve into the close, ongoing bonds she might have once imagined. But she did discover her birth father had a unique connection to Little House.
Gilbert wrote in an Instagram post, “I was today years old when I found out my birth father, David Darlington’s middle name was…Manly!”
If you watched Little House on the Prairie, you might remember Laura Ingalls Wilder affectionately calling her husband Almanzo “Manly.” What makes the detail even more intriguing is a real-life coincidence in Melissa Gilbert’s own story: she didn’t meet her birth father until long after the series had ended, and his middle name happened to match the name of her character’s husband.
Melissa Gilbert talks about childhood on ‘Little House’ set
Watching Little House on the Prairie, you might wonder what it was like for Melissa Gilbert to grow up on set, working alongside stars like Michael Landon. Gilbert has said the experience was every bit as joyful and fun as it appeared on screen.
“It was like a really great summer camp,” Gilbert said of her childhood on the set, “but I also got to play the ultimate game of dress up, and be in those fantastic clothes, and the button-up boots. I don’t remember it ever not being fun.”
Gilbert also shared that she learned so much while portraying Laura. Little House is known for its strong family values and enjoying the simple joys of life. The actress shared that she was able to understand those qualities at a young age, thanks to her time spent on the show.
“I absorbed so much without even realizing what I was learning–really important life lessons about family, community, tolerance,” she said. “Because I was saying all of these things, and having to understand all of these things, they became a part of what I learned as well.”
Her childhood wasn’t without challenges
While Little House on the Prairie may have given Melissa Gilbert an idyllic on-screen childhood, her real life carried moments of profound heartache. Her adoptive father, Paul Gilbert, died when she was just 11 years old; she was initially told he passed away in his sleep, and later learned he had died by suicide.
Off-camera, Gilbert was also growing up in a high-pressure adult world. Even as she portrayed a beloved character, she was navigating fame at an unusually young age—balancing work, public attention and the complicated task of trying to preserve something like a normal childhood under an intense spotlight.
“I hear from people a lot, especially young women, how they wish they’d had a childhood like Laura’s was portrayed on Little House on the Prairie,” Gilbert shared. “Even though I played her, I also wished for the same thing.”
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