The historical drama Little House on the Prairie, based on the semi-autobiographical book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, premiered in September 1974. The television show, which told the story of Walnut Grove residents in the late 1800s, enchanted audiences throughout its nine-season run.
Over the last five decades, Little House on the Prairie has continued to be a cherished piece of media, with devoted fans all around the world. In an exclusive interview with Parade, two of the show's stars, Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson, and Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder, spoke about the show's long-lasting legacy and their beloved characters. The pair also shared their favorite and least favorite Little House on the Prairie episodes, some memories about their late co-star, Michael Landon, and whether they'd consider filming for the upcoming NetflixLittle House on the Prairie series.
In addition, Arngrim and Butler discussed the new documentary, Little House Homecoming, which focuses on the show's most enduring storylines, its enthusiastic fans, and the real-life locations of Wilder's famous childhood. The documentary, directed by Jonathan Parker, features interviews from different Little House on the Prairie personalities, including Arngrim, Butler, Charlotte Stewart, the actress behind Laura Ingalls' (Melissa Gilbert) beloved teacher, Miss Beadle, Wendi Turnbaugh, who portrayed Grace Ingalls, and Karen Grassle, who starred as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls.
Dean Butler & Alison Arngrim Shared Why They Believed 'Little House on the Prairie' Is So Timeless
Dean Butler in 'Little House Homecoming' Photo Credit: Jonathan ParkerWhile speaking to Parade, Butler and Arngrim, who co-host the Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast, alongside Pamela Bob, shared why they think the series still has such a dedicated fandom.
Arngrim said she believes the story of the Ingalls is universally relatable. She stated that fans from different countries have told her they are drawn to the show's emotional storylines where the Ingalls face hardships. She explained she believes it's easier to connect with the Ingalls' experience than with privileged characters.
"Most people aren't living like on these shows, where these people live in these huge homes. They're not living the Friendslife in the giant New York apartment," said the actress to Parade. "People are living in a tiny little house with a lot of children and wondering if they're going to have enough to eat. They said, 'Yes, of course, we're tuning into this. And I can identify immediately with the emotions.'"
She also said that certain characters, like Nellie, who is often a problem for Laura, and her difficult mother, Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor), represent archetypes that people encounter in their everyday lives.
"Everybody's got a Mrs. Olsen where they work. Everybody's got a Nellie at their school," said Arngrim.
In addition, Arngrim said that the show's "filmmaking, the cinematography, the directing, [and] the acting" is another reason it has held up so well.
Butler also said that he thinks "Little House provides foundational lessons for how to live a good and decent life."
"Walnut Grove, either in the books or in the series, is its own little world that people step into to discover a kind of a decency and humanity that doesn't go away," said Butler in the Parade interview.
He went on to say that Little House on the Prairie has "clear delineation of what is good and what may perhaps not be so good," like some of Nellie's less-than-kind behaviors. The actor also said, "There was always redemption" on Little House on the Prairie episodes. Butler also noted that each episode is "very streamlined" in terms of its storytelling. He explained that the audience is never in the dark about "what's happening" in Walnut Grove.
In addition, he said that the series has "never gone out of fashion because it was never in fashion."
The timelessness of Little House on the Prairie is examined in Little House Homecoming. Arngrim told Parade that Parker decided to make the film because his daughter was a fan of the book series and show.
"He went, 'What is this phenomenon?' Because it blows people's minds," said Arngrim.
Arngrim said his curiosity was sparked even further when he took his daughter "to the historical sites" in Minnesota, where other devoted Little House on the Prairie fans gather.
"[He] realized this needed to be a film. This needed to be a documentary of this connection of the fans to the show, to the books and what it all means," said Arngrim to Parade.
She also shared that the documentary has been an emotional viewing experience for fans. She said that the first time she watched the movie's final cut was at the "Cherry Blossom Festival in Missouri" in an audience full of Little House lovers.
"People were crying. People were crazy, standing ovation. They were losing their minds," said the actress.
Butler also said he was "touched" by Parker's passion to make the Little House on the Prairie documentary, "which is to honor his daughter's love of this material at a time when it was real and powerful for her" during her childhood.
"Jonathan decided that he wanted to honor that by finding out and exploring what it is about these books, these stories that resonates for people," explained Butler.
During their interview with Parade, Arngrim and Butler revealed their favorite and least favorite episode of Little House on the Prairie. Arngrim said she has a fondness for Season 3, Episode 2 ("Bunny"), wherein Nellie feigns a serious injury, causing Laura to push her down a hill while she's in a wheelchair.
"My favorite is 'Bunny,' where [Nellie] goes down the hill in the wheelchair," said Arngrim.
She also said that she has difficulty watching Season 3, Episode 19 ("The Music Box") because of Nellie's cruelty to Anna Gillberg (Katy Kurtzman), who has a stutter. Argrim said it was "uncomfortable" watching herself berate Kurtzman's character.
"I went to speech class when I was a kid. I was friends with the stutterers. I'm like, 'No, this is like the worst.' So it actually kind of creeped me out while I was doing it. I call it the episode where I hate me. It's like that bad, but it works and it's brilliant," said Arngrim to Parade.
She clarified that she does appreciate that the episode features a "crazy dream sequence," where Nellie is dressed as an executioner holding "a candy cane."
Butler also shared that he enjoyed the two-part season 8 episode, "Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow." He explained that his character, who got diphtheria, and his new wife, Laura, have to deal with "one horrible calamity after another." However, the couple manages to "come through it," despite their "self-doubt and depression," giving the audience a sense of hopefulness.
"It was a quintessentially Little House kind of episode," said Butler while speaking to Parade.
He then shared he doesn't love the season 9 episode, "For the Love of Blanche," wherein Mr. Edwards (Victor French) has custody of an orangutan. "Somehow an orangutan ends up in Walnut Grove. And it just made no sense to me. Why are we going down this road? I mean, there's certainly something redemptive about acceptance and all that in this episode. But come on, an orangutan?" said Butler.
Butler also told Parade that he enjoyed recapping Season 3, Episode 9 ("The Bully Boys"), which showed the town's reaction to the Galender brothers, for the Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast.
"It feels very allegorical to the world we're living in right now. And it really stunned me at the clarity of this message and how people ultimately have to stand up for themselves," said the actor.
Alison Arngrim & Dean Butler Opened up About Michael Landon
During their interview with Parade, Arngrim and Butler spoke highly of Landon, who not only starred as Charles "Pa" Ingalls but was also one of the show's executive producers, writers, and directors. The Highway to Heaven actor died in 1991 at the age of 54.
Arngrim described Landon as "this burning fire of creativity and work ethic." In addition, she said he "was so funny" and would do "anything for a joke."
"And don't give him an opening for a joke," continued Arngrim.
She then shared a story from filming Season 2, Episode 10 ("At the End of the Rainbow") that exemplified Landon's habit of teasing his co-stars. She noted that the episode called for Nellie to crash "through the screen door," which meant she had to hang "in the door" for a long period of time. She said while shooting the scene, which "took forever," she asked, "Why didn't you just get a dummy for this?"
"And Michael goes, 'We did! Shut up. Put your head back down.' Do not give Landon an opening. It was hilarious," recalled Arngrim.
She also shared that he encouraged her to act as wicked as possible when playing Nellie.
"I tell people, you hate me, but he's the one standing next to the camera going 'More, more, hit her harder.' I mean, he wrote it. He was enjoying all of this a little too much," said Arngrim.
The actress also fondly remembered Landon's signature laugh.
"He had that high-pitch giggle. You could hear him miles away on location. [He was] one of the most absolutely brilliantly funny people ever. Just a riot," said Arngrim.
Meanwhile, Butler said he appreciated that Landon, who "had a tough life growing up, found a calling in that life to do something better for people."
"I think it's that aspiration that I admire most about Michael. In my memory of him, will always be that aspiration to do something good. And as Alison suggested, [he] had a lot of fun doing it," said Butler, who joined the Little House on the Prairie cast during its sixth season.
He also said that Landon thoroughly enjoyed working on Little House on the Prairie.
"Every day was so much fun for him. Because he loved the creativity, the control of all of it. We were all there to be devices for his storytelling," said the actor to Parade. "I mean, that's what film acting is. You are there to help a director tell a story or help a writer tell a story. And we all fit into that jigsaw puzzle of those stories and helped complete those puzzles and make these stories work. And what a gift to be included in that."
Landon was among the many incredible behind-the-scenes workers who ensured the series was successful. Arngrim, who began starring on Little House on the Prairie when she was 12, told Parade that the set "was such an incredible place." The actress said that the show's crew consisted of "characters," who had ties to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
"There's Allan "Whitey" Snyder, our makeup man, who's Marilyn Monroe's makeup man. Gladys Witten, she had worked with Bette Davis and Joan Crawfordand Marilyn and Linda Darnell," said Argrim.
She also suggested it sometimes felt surreal to star on the series, especially when filming with guest stars like Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine, andJohnny Cash.
"It was kind of this mind-blowing thing. I mean, I go back to school because I was still in school. And I go to school. And it's like, 'Yeah, what happened to you?' And it's like, I felt like I was making it up," recalled Arngrim. "I mean, it's like, I don't know what happened to me. 'I went down a hill in a wheelchair. And then I was in an executioner's outfit. And there was a dungeon.' And they're like, are you doing some kind of drugs, Alison? What is happening to you? Do you need to see the school counselor?'"
Alison Arngrim Revealed If She's Anything Like Her Iconic 'Little House' Character
Alison Arngrim in 'Little House Homecoming' Photo Credit: Jonathan ParkerNellie is arguably one of the most antagonistic characters in television history. According to Arngrim, fans "are still mad at" her for her character's many misdeeds. In addition, she said that she didn't realize that Nellie wasn't all that nice when she went to audition for Little House on the Prairie.
"When I got there, they just handed me these sides. I didn't know what Nellie Oleson was. As soon as I read it, I turned to my father went, 'This girl, she's a b---h. This is terrible,'" said Arngrim while speaking to Parade.
She clarified that she did enjoy playing one of the show's villains.
She also revealed whether she shared any qualities with Nellie. The actress said she can identify with Nellie's appreciation of the finer things. However, she said she is nicer than her on-screen counterpart, which Butler confirmed.
Arngrim also quipped that she thinks everyone has a little bit of Nellie in them.
Production of Neflix's new Little House on the Prairie series began in the summer of 2025. The show will star Alice Halsey as Laura, Luke Bracey as Pa, Crosby Fitzgerald as Ma, and Skywalker Hughes as Laura's sister, Mary, per Netflix.
While speaking to Parade, Arngrim shared that she would like to make an appearance on the upcoming Little House on the Prairie show.
"That'd be a trip. I mean, I always say I'm old enough to be Mrs. Oleson now, and if they have my phone number, I'm available," said Arngrim.
She also said that she thinks that Little House on the Prairie fans would appreciate seeing a familiar face on the new Netflix series.
Butler chimed in that he believes there will eventually be a collaboration between the original show's stars and the cast of the new series. He explained that while the new show is going to be "different," he thinks it will share the original series' "goodness."
"I think there's a real desire to connect the versions of this experience together, because the spirit of it is the same spirit," said Butler. "That's what I am led to believe about it, is that the spirit is the same. And I think they want that."
Dean Butler & Alison Arngrim Revealed Their Proudest Moments
Butler and Arngrim opened up about their experiences with Little House on the Prairie fans during their interview with Parade. Butler said he had a wonderful experience celebrating the show's 50th anniversary in Simi Valley, where the series was filmed, for a 2024 fan event. He suggested he was pleasantly surprised when he was greeted by thousands of Little House on the Prairie enthusiasts.
"That was an extraordinary thing. And I realized, we have done this, and people loved it, and they are coming to celebrate with us," said Butler. "That was an extremely proud moment to see that happen. And it was glorious. It really was. Because we had all worked so hard to bring this into existence, and people got it. 18,000 people from 27 countries came to Simi Valley to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Little House."
He also said it's been an "incredible gift" to be a part of a show that brings so much joy to its fans.
"I think as I look in the years since the program, the love and affection that comes at us from people who continue to watch and enjoy it is an incredible gift that we all get," said Butler.
Arngrim said that she also received a warm welcome from fans during a convention in Walnut Grove. She said that she and her former Little House on the Prairie castmates decided to do "a gag," where they introduced everyone on stage except her.
"They just kind of let it hang for the audience and going, 'Wait, wait, are we missing someone?' And then I kick open the door on the stage and go, 'What?!' And everyone went berserk," recalled Arngrim.
Arngrim and Butler will be joined by several of their Little House on the Prairie co-stars, including Grassle, Stewart, and Patrick Labyorteaux, who played Andy Gravy, for the upcoming 2025 Little House on the Prairie Cast Reunion. The three-day event, which will take place from December 12 to 14, will be held at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley, California. According to the event's website, guests have the chance to meet the show's stars, look at collectibles, enjoy holiday music, and watch holiday-themed Little House on the Prairie episodes. Adult general admission tickets are priced at $59.
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