Michael Landon “Sacrificed” His Money To Buy Gifts For “Little House” Co-Stars
(Left) CBS Sunday Morning / YouTube / (Right) Fotos International / Contributor / Getty Images
Melissa Gilbert Recalls How Michael Landon Went Above & Beyond To Get Gifts For His Little House On The Prairie Co-Stars & Crew
Michael Landon went the extra mile to ensure his co-stars and crew on Little House on the Prairie had special gifts each holiday season.
The Little House on the Prairie TV series celebrates its 50th anniversary this year (2024). Some of the surviving stars got together at the recent Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival to mark the occasion.
Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls, was one of the participants. Michael Landon played Laura’s father, Charles “Pa” Ingalls.
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While speaking with PEOPLE at the reunion, Gilbert shared how Landon “sacrificed” his time and money to buy gifts for the Little House cast and crew.
Gilbert recalled how Landon served as the announcer of the Rose Parade for several years. But instead of hanging on to the salary he earned for the gig, he’d use the money to buy Christmas gifts for his Little House co-stars and crew.
“Every year for NBC, he would announce the Rose Parade and instead of taking a payment for that, he would use that money to buy the cast and crew Christmas presents,” Gilbert said.
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Gilbert added, “So he sacrificed his New Year’s Eves, basically, to be at the Rose Parade at 3 a.m. so that he could give us all really amazing Christmas presents.”
Melissa Gilbert Reflects On The Bond She Shared With Michael
Gilbert and Landon shared a strong bond. Gilbert lost her own father when she was 11, just two years after she started acting on Little House.
As her father on the show, Landon naturally became a father figure in Gilbert’s life. “…he really sort of stepped in and kind of watched over me in a much more paternal way,” she said.
Gilbert says Landon “was like a father figure” to many of her fellow castmates as well. The actor died in 1991 at the age of 54 following a battle with cancer.
Today, Gilbert feels like Landon’s memory lives on through Little House because he poured his heart and soul into the series. “This is his legacy. A hundred percent,” she said.
Revisit Melissa Gilbert’s outstanding audition for Little House on the Prairie in the video below. Michael Landon acted alongside her, and in that moment it was clear Gilbert was destined to play Laura.
