Person · Actor

Melissa Gilbert

A legendary child star and *Little House on the Prairie* icon, Melissa Gilbert navigates fame, family, and reinvention as she balances her past as Laura Ingalls Wilder with a bold new chapter on *Dancing with the Stars*.

Born

1964

Also:
Actress
Producer
Director

Credits on file

Decades active

In short · Acting since 1974, 5 decades active, 50 credits.

Known for

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Biography

Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress who began her career as a child in the late 1960s, appearing in commercials and television guest roles. She is best known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the NBC series *Little House on the Prairie*, which aired from 1974 to 1983. During the show's run, she also appeared in television films such as *The Diary of Anne Frank* (1980) and *The Miracle Worker* (1979). As an adult, Gilbert continued to work primarily in television films.

In 2009 and 2010, she portrayed Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in the touring production of *Little House on the Prairie, the Musical*. In 2012, she participated in season fourteen of the reality dance competition *Dancing with the Stars* on ABC.

Filmography · 46 of 46

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