Netflix has released its highly anticipated reboot of Little House on the Prairie on July 9, 2026, sparking curiosity about the original cast from the 1970s series. Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels, the new series retells the Ingalls family's journey for a modern audience. Netflix's synopsis describes it as "part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West." Set in 1869, the reboot follows the Ingalls family as they leave Wisconsin's Big Woods for Kansas, seeking a better life.
Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls)
Michael Landon played Charles 'Pa' Ingalls and also served as producer, writer, and director for the series. He left as a main cast member before the final season but continued behind the scenes. Before Little House, Landon starred as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza at age 22. After the show, he starred in Highway to Heaven and was set to create a CBS drama called Us but died from pancreatic cancer in 1991 at age 57. He was married three times, including to makeup artist Cindy Clerico, and had nine children, including filmmaker Christopher Landon and actress Jennifer Landon.
Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls)
Karen Grassle played Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls. Before Little House, she was a theatre actress and returned to the stage after the series ended. She moved from Los Angeles to focus on theatre across the US and appeared in films like Wyatt Earp and Lasso. In 2021, she released her memoir Bright Lights, Prairie Dust, revealing a difficult working relationship with Michael Landon, though they reconciled before his death. Grassle has been married three times and has two children.
Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Melissa Gilbert was cast as Laura at age 10 and stayed until the series ended at 19. She earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1981 and an Emmy nomination for playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. After the show, she remained on television, served as Screen Actors Guild president from 2001 to 2005, and ran for Congress in 2016. She later played Ma Ingalls in the touring musical Little House on the Prairie and appeared on Dancing with the Stars. In 2025, she responded to Megyn Kelly's comments about the reboot, stating, "Ummm... watch the original again," noting the original tackled racism, addiction, misogyny, and domestic abuse. Gilbert has two sons and is married to Timothy Busfield.
Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls Kendall)
Melissa Sue Anderson played Mary Ingalls, who loses her sight from scarlet fever. Her performance earned an Emmy nomination. Mary endured storylines including blindness, hostage situations, miscarriage, and losing her baby in a fire. After Little House, Anderson appeared in Midnight Offerings, Happy Birthday to Me, Murder, She Wrote, The Equalizer, and X-Men: The Animated Series. She married TV writer Michael Sloan in 1990, had two children, and became a Canadian citizen. Sloan died in 2025.
Rachel Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls)
Identical twins Rachel Lindsay Greenbush and Sidney Greenbush shared the role of Carrie Ingalls, joining the show at age three. They appeared in the TV film Sunshine before Little House. After the series, they left acting for school. Sidney married veterinarian William "Rocky" Foster in 2000; he died in 2009. Rachel married childhood friend Danny Sanchez, whom she met on the Little House set, in 2014.
Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder)
Dean Butler joined in season six as Almanzo Wilder, Laura's husband. He landed his first major role in the 1978 adaptation of Forever by Judy Blume. After Little House, he starred in The New Gidget, performed on Broadway in Into the Woods, and played Buffy's father Hank Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He married actress Katherine Cannon in 2001.
Katherine MacGregor (Harriet Oleson)
Katherine MacGregor played Harriet Oleson, a love-to-hate villain originally meant as a guest character but promoted to regular. Before Little House, she performed on and off Broadway and appeared in All in the Family and Ironside. A convert to Hinduism, she was on a pilgrimage to India during the Little House finale. She died in 2018 at age 93.
Victor French (Isaiah Edwards)
Victor French played Isaiah Edwards, a mountain man and Charles' friend struggling with depression and alcoholism. After Little House, he co-starred with Landon in Highway to Heaven. He appeared in Gunsmoke, Carter Country, Get Smart, and films with Elvis Presley (Charro!) and John Wayne (Rio Lobo). French was married twice, had three children, and died from lung cancer in 1989 at age 54.
Richard Bull (Nels Oleson)
Richard Bull played Nels Oleson, Harriet's long-suffering husband. He and Katherine MacGregor were close friends off-screen. Bull's career spanned over four decades, with roles in The Fugitive, The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, Mission: Impossible, Hill Street Blues, and films like The Thomas Crown Affair and High Plains Drifter. He was married to actress Barbara Collentine for over 65 years until his death from pneumonia in 2014 at age 89.
