For decades, children were lost in the pages of the beloved Little House on the Prairie books. Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about her life growing up on a farm in Minnesota in the late 1800s, the bestselling books were adapted for a TV series in 1974. The series starring Michael Landon, Karen Grassle and Melissa Gilbert and spanned nine seasons. Portraying life on the 19th century frontier was not always easy for the cast. Alison Arngrim, who played the naughty, spoiled and dishonest girl, Nellie Oleson, struggled especially with her period costume.
Filming was difficult for young actors
Although Walnut Grove, Minnesota is a real city, most outside photos Little House on the Prairie were filmed at the expansive Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California. Many days, temperatures reached over 100 degrees. The wardrobe of the young actors of the 1800s consisted of layers of heavy cotton socks, thick petticoats, aprons and hats. With the scorching weather and uncomfortable clothing, it’s no surprise that on the first day of filming Arngrim passed out from the heat! She wasn’t the only one – an assistant director also passed out, according to Mental Floss.
As if wearing heavy clothing in the scorching heat was not bad enough, part of Arngrim’s fantasy caused him physical pain. Her beautiful blond hair didn’t have Nellie’s characteristic curls, so she wore a custom-made wig. To keep it safe during scenes, stylists fixed the wig using dozens of metal hair clips and sharp metal combs. It was so tight that it often made Arngrim’s scalp bleed.
Arngrim and Gilbert are friends in real life
RELATED: ‘Little House on the Prairie’: Melissa Gilbert Says Playing Laura Ingalls Was Her Escape From Her Real Life, Where She ‘Wasn’t Well’
While they threw enemies at Little House on the Prairie, Arngrim and Gilbert were really best friends! “We hit it off immediately. We had slumber parties. We visited each other’s homes on weekends – people couldn’t believe it, ”recalls Arngrim in an interview with Fox News. “I remember we were 13 and we were at the supermarket together. She went to a hall to look for something and people recognized us. And suddenly they felt compelled to protect her from me, as if I was coming after her. People were terrified because we were friends and we went places together. We still do. ”
Argrim continued: “The truth is that there was no point where we didn’t like each other … People still assume that we hate each other. But we are very close friends. We text and talk all the time. Some of us keep in touch on social media. The cast became a family. We check each other all the time. “
Nellie was based on three different people
Little House on the Prairie it was mostly autobiographical, and Ingalls Wilder only changed the names of real people in their stories twice, according to History Daily. One of these characters was Nellie Oleson. Ingalls Wilder based her on three girls from her childhood: Nellie Owens, Genevieve Masters and Stella Gilbert. Like his namesake on the TV show, Owen’s father owned the store in town. Mestre’s mother was a teacher at her school and wore her blond hair in large bunches of sausage, as Oleson does in the program. Gilbert lived close to the Ingalls family and tried to use his good looks and charm on Laura’s suitor (and later husband), Almanzo. The combination of the three made Oleson a character the audience loved to hate.
‘Little House on the Prairie’ is being restarted
This Ingalls family will return to a TV screen near you shortly. It was recently announced that a dramatic hour-long adaptation Little House on the Prairie is being developed by Paramount TV Studios and Anonymous Content. A former cast member is more than willing to make a small appearance on the new show. “I am of the right age to play Mrs. Oleson,” Arngrim told EW. “I am totally there. I have no shame.”