Melissa Gilbert Biography, Age, Career, Marital Status, Salary and Net Worth

Who is Melissa Gilbert?

Melissa Ellen Gilbert is a prominent American actress, television director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. She began her career in the late 1960s as a child actress appearing in numerous commercials and guest-starring roles on television.

She starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second eldest daughter of Charles Ingalls (played by Michael Landon) from 1974 to 1983 on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. At the time of filming Little House, Melissa appeared in several television films including; The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker. In addition, she continued her acting career even as an adult in mainly television films.

Moreover, she has continued with guest roles on television and has completed voice work for animations such as Batman: The Animated Series as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. She also appeared as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls from 2009 to 2010 in the touring production of Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Gilbert was a contestant in 2012 on season 14 of the popular reality dance competition show Dancing with the Stars on ABC.

From 2001 to 2005, she served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild. Her autobiography Prairie Tale: A Memoir was released in 2009. Also, she wrote 2014 a short story about children called, Daisy and Josephine as well as My Prairie Cookbook” Memories and Frontier Food from My Little House to Yours. Besides acting and doing voice work, she indulged herself in politics, and in 2016 she ran for U.S. Congress as a Democrat in Michigan’s 8th congressional district and she won the Democratic primary. But because of health issues stemming from an accident she got in 2012, she dropped out.

How Old Is Melissa Gilbert?

She is 58 years old as of May 2022, having been born on May 8, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Gilbert shares her birthdate with celebrities such as; 6IX9INE, Trisha Paytas, Ethan Wacker, David Attenborough, Stephen Amell, and many more.

Melissa Gilbert Family

Who are Melissa Gilbert’s Parents?

She was born to David Darlington (Father) and Kathy Wood (Mother). Her parents divorced when Gilbert was 8 years old.

Does Melissa Gilbert have Siblings?

She has two siblings. A sister by the name Sara Gilbert (born on January 29, 1975) is an American actress, director, and producer. And a brother by the name of Jonathan Gilbert (born on April 28, 19670 is a former American television and film actor.

Melissa Gilbert Education

She received her education at The Buckley School.

Melissa Gilbert Marital Status

She is married to the love of her life Timothy Busfield (born on June 12, 1957). They married on April 24, 2013. Her husband is an American actor and director. However, besides being currently married, she was previously married to Bo Brinkman, they were married on February 22, 1988, but divorced in 1992. She was also married to Bruce Boxleitner on January 1, 1995, but divorced on August 22, 2011)

Melissa Gilbert Kids

She has two kids. One kid with her ex-husband Bo Brinkman, a son by the name of Dakota Brinkman born on May 1, 1989, he is an actor. And another kid with her ex-husband Bruce Boxleitner, a son by the name of Michael Boxleitner, born on October 6, 1995, is an actor.

Melissa Gilbert Career

A Career in Early Years

Her earliest television appearances included one for Alpo dog food with Lorne Greene (Michael Landon’s television father on Bonanza). Gilbert attended the same school as Landon’s daughter Leslie London. It was Leslie who informed Gilbert that she had won the role of Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie thus beating out over 500 child contestants who were auditioning for the role. In 1973, the pilot was sot and it was a rating success. A year later, Melissa started to film the series and became extremely close to the Landon family after her adoptive father died. However, during the 1983-84 season, she had limited contact with Landon after Little House ended.

A Career after Little House

After starring in the Little House, she has continued her work regularly mainly in television. Among them, she has starred in the biopic Choices of the Heart (1983) as Jean Donovan. And in three episodes of Babylon 5 as Anna Sheridan with her then-husband Boxleitner in 1996. Moreover, she has provided voice work for Batgirl in the 1990s Barman: The Animated Series.

Because of her contribution to the television industry, in 1985 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6429 Hollywood Blvd. Moreover, she was inducted in 1998, into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She then appeared as Shari Noble in 2006 in a season four episode of Nip/Tuck. Gilbert played Caroline “Ma” Ingalls in the musical adaptation of Little House on the Prairie in 2008 and through 2009. In March and April 2018, she starred in an Off-Off-Broadway limited-run production of Geraldine Aron’s 2001 one-woman play 2001 My Brilliant Divorce.

A Career at Dancing with the Stars

Gilbert joined the cast of celebrity contestants in March 2012 on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars. There, she paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. During week four’s show, while dancing the Paso Doble, she fell and hit her head on Maksim’s leg thus suffering a mild concussion and was taken to a hospital. She went home to recover but returned to continue in the competition. However, in week 8 of the competition, she was eliminated after finishing in 5th place.

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A Career at Screen Actors Guild Presidency

In 2001, she was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild after a contentious candidacy, in which she ultimately beat her opponent Rhoda actress Valerie Harper 21,351 votes to 12, 613 votes after a second vote was taken. She again was re-elected in 2003 after defeating Kent McCord with 50% of the vote to his 42%. However, she announced in July 2005, that she would not seek a third term. Therefore, she was succeeded by Alan Rosenberg who assumed the guild presidency on September 25.

A 2016 Congressional Campaign Career

Besides acting, voice work, and being elected as Screen Actors Guild president, she announced on August 10, 2015, her campaign for Michigan’s 8th congressional district in the 2016 elections to the United States House of Representatives. She as the presumptive Democratic nominee in the district, dropped out of the race in May 2016, because of health issues.