Michael Landon recruited several youngster actors when he launched Little House on the Prairie in 1974. Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) played polar opposites on the collection, with Mary representing a wholesome established of values while Nellie was regarded to be Walnut Grove’s town bully. Anderson disclosed some first dissimilarities among Arngrim and the feisty character she portrayed.
Alison Arngrim grew to become BFFs with Melissa Gilbert on ‘Little House’
Anderson and Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls) played sisters on the relatives sequence, even though they never ever formed a near bond off digital camera. The Very little House alum recalled growing up on the set and famous how Arngrim and Gilbert quickly grew to become besties.
“The Paramount ton was an unbelievable playground for us young ones,” Anderson instructed Entertainment Weekly in 2014. “Melissa [Gilbert] and Alison were normally working around collectively. I was a lot more pleasant with the crew. The established felt like dwelling.”
Arngrim gave her have account of her time on the NBC historic drama, and pointed out how Anderson distanced herself from her two co-stars.
“[Anderson] seemed at Melissa Gilbert and me like we were total juvenile delinquents,” Arngrim remarked. “I imagine she believed we would get her in hassle if she hung out with us, which is best for her character mainly because Mary was these a very little narc.”
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Melissa Sue Anderson seen Alison Arngrim as ‘shy’
In her memoir, Anderson shared numerous powering-the-scenes tales of Little Dwelling, such as her interactions with her co-stars. Although Arngrim felt Anderson viewed her as considerably rambunctious, the previous Minimal Dwelling star gave a distinct description of her youthful cast member.
“Nellie Oleson was performed by Alison Arngrim,” Anderson wrote in her reserve, The Way I See It. “Eventually, she had heaps of fun becoming ‘Nasty Nellie’, but when we very first commenced performing with each other, she was fairly shy, to the point of not looking individuals in the eye.”
Anderson went on to share how Arngrim needed to be prompted to make eye make contact with in scenes instead than normally hunting down.
“I can nonetheless remember [producer] Bill Claxton pleading with her, ‘Please, Alison search at them when you are talking’,” Anderson recalled. “‘Don’t search at the floor. Glimpse up, Alison, search up’.”
‘Little House’ star had to wear a wig
Arngrim ended up having to get equipped for a wig when Very little Residence turned a fixture on the NBC plan, although Anderson desired the actor’s organic hair.
“She was adorable,” Anderson shared. “Especially when she was carrying her individual curls. When our hairdressing section uncovered out we had been a strike, they bought the ok to have a wig custom-produced for Alison.”
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Though hiding Arngrim’s skinny hair within the wig was a obstacle, the Tiny Home star wore the head accoutrement for the vast majority of her time on the sequence.
“Trying to hold Alison’s fantastic blonde hair in those people Nellie ringlets was exhausting, I guess,” Anderson wrote. “I individually believed that she was significantly prettier with her very own hair, but, of training course, I never ever explained to her that.”
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