Through the '30s and '40s, Laura Ingalls Wilder penned a beloved series of books inspired by her family's journey as settlers in the American West. In the '70s, the series was adapted into an equally adored TV show Little House on the Prairie, turning lead actress Melissa Gilbert into a star along the way.
Now, Melissa is Ma herself, welcoming two children, both of whom have also worked on screen. Read on to find out where you might have seen them before and what the '70s icon is up to now.
© Getty ImagesMelissa Gilbert got her start on screen in the late 1960s
Who is Melissa Gilbert?
Born on 8 May 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Melissa Gilbert got her start with small uncredited TV roles on shows like The Dean Martin Show and Emergency!.
Her very first role came in 1967 in The Reluctant Astronaut and just 7 years later, she got her best-known role on Little House on the Prairie.
© NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesMelissa Gilbert starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder on 'Little House on the Prairie'
Going West
Melissa Gilbert's star role came in 1974, as the lead of Laura Ingalls Wilder adaptation Little House on the Prairie, starring as the author herself.
The series ran between 1974 and 1983 for an impressive 204 episodes, following the adventures of the Ingalls pioneer family on the journey to the American West.
© Getty ImagesMelissa Gilbert has been married three times
Married life
Melissa Gilbert has been married three times in total. She first tied the knot with director and producer Bo Brinkman in 1988, welcoming a son and divorcing six years later. The year after her divorce was finalised, she married Tron actor Bruce Boxleitner.
The couple welcomed a son before parting ways in 2011. In 2013, she married now-husband Timothy Busfield.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesDakota Brinkman has worked on several movie projects
Dakota Brinkman
Dakota Brinkman was born on 1 May 1989 in New York to Melissa Gilbert and her then-husband Bo Brinkman.
He has followed his parents' footsteps into show business, working with his mother on romantic drama Safe Harbour, drama Laws of Deception and short film Shay.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesMichael has worked as an actor and voice actor
Michael Boxleitner
Like his mother Melissa and father Bruce Boxleitner, Michael has worked on screen in CBS cop drama FBI: Most Wanted and the horror Necroland.
He's also worked in the audio booth on Marvel podcast series Wastelanders: Black Widow. Michael's star run clearly isn't getting to his head, as he describes himself via his Instagram as an "Actor/Voice-actor/Bartender".
© Getty ImagesMelissa lives in the Catskills with husband Timothy Busfield among ongoing legal battles
Where is she now?
Melissa Gilbert was last seen on screen in When Calls the Heart, a similarly cosy long-running series to her Little House on the Prairie roots. Prior to that, she worked on projects like When We Last Spoke (2019), Hometown Christmas (2018) and short film One Smart Fellow (2015).
