Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert has paid a wonderful tribute to Michael Landon on what would have been his 90th birthday.
Melissa - who played Michael's on-screen daughter Laura Ingalls in the 1970s TV show – shared several rarely seen pictures of the two on set, with one showing the pair in the middle of a deep laugh, highlighting their close bond.
© Melissa GilbertMichael starred as Charles "Pa" Ingalls for the first eight seasons of the show, but in the real world he also became a father figure to Melissa, whose , two years into the show. after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
"Ninety years. I wonder what you would think of that. I can almost hear your laugh, see that enchanting twinkle in your eyes, and feel your arms around me," Melissa wrote as if speaking to Michael, recalling how he "took my hand and changed my life forever."
© Melissa Gilbert"You taught me so much more than how to be a professional. You taught me to be brave, to trust myself, to find humor in the hardest moments, and to lead with my heart," she continued, before telling him that "the little girl with the braids has silver in her hair now" and that although she is now "a wife, mother and grandmother, [the little girl] still lives inside me, and she still misses you so much."
Melissa, whom Michael called "half-pint," then revealed that "so much of who I am began with you," referencing how he had helped to raise her through her teenage years.
© Melissa Gilbert"On what would have been your 90th birthday, I find myself thinking less about how long you’ve been gone and more about how much of you remains. The legacy of your wonderful work, but more importantly, the legacy of the beautiful family you created. Oh Mike, you would be so proud of all of them," she concluded.
"As for me, in my heart, I’ll always be that little girl running down a grassy hill, knowing you’re there to catch me."
Little House on the Prairie aired over 200 episodes between 1974 and 1983. Michael left at the end of season eight, believing the show had run its natural course. He made several appearances in season nine, which was the series' final season.
© MediaPunch via Getty ImagesMelissa was adopted when she was only a day old by Barbara Cowan and the late Paul Gilbert, both actors. They also adopted a son, , who followed his sister into acting and also appeared on as the recurring character Willie.
Her biological mother was an exotic dancer and her father a race car driver and musician, and the pair left their spouses for each other, moving in together with their six children. When they welcomed Melissa, baby number seven, they decided to put her up for adoption.
Melissa never connected with her biological mom, but spoke to her biological dad in 1990.
© Getty Images2026 was a tough year for the actress and entrepreneur as her husband, Timothy Busfield, had child sexual abuse charges levied against him in January.
On October 16, a judge in New Mexico on Friday dismissed the charges after finding flaws in how the prosecution had presented the case to a grand jury. Timothy has always vehemently denied the accusations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, there was a bright spot for Melissa in July 2026, as she revealed that she had been put in touch with half-brothers on her mother's side.
© Getty Images"I'd always wished for a big brother, and I found out I have three," she wrote, adding that their names were Matt, Laird and Mark; Mark sadly passed away several years prior.
Melissa re-posted a social media post from Matt that read, in part: "I'm looking forward to seeing where this new chapter leads. Family has a funny way of finding each other, even after 62 years."
