Melissa Gilbert shared a touching tribute to her onscreen father, Michael Landon, on the 35th anniversary of the Little House of the Prairie star's death.
The actress, who starred as Laura Ingalls in the hit '70s TV show, took to Instagram to share a series of photos from the set of the show that showcased her close bond with Michael, who portrayed Charles "Pa" Ingalls.
"Thirty-five years ago today, the world lost a creative powerhouse," she began in her caption. "Michael Landon was one of the most successful actor-writer-director-producers in the history of television. Every show he was a part of ran for years. His TV shows remain a part of many people's lives to this very day."
© InstagramMichael was the writer, director and producer of Little House on the Prairie, as well as one of its main stars.
"But more than that, Mike was my friend, collaborator and mentor," Melissa continued. "I've always felt like the luckiest girl in the world because he chose me to be his 'Halfpint'. Working with him was more than formative. I learned most of what I know about our industry from him."
The 62-year-old went on to share that when she would vacation with his family, she got to witness Michael's love for and devotion to his children, Mark, Josh, Michael Jr., Christopher, Sean, Cheryl, Leslie, Shawna and Jennifer.
© Instagram"I can't begin to tell you how many times over the last 35 years, I've thought, 'What would Mike do?'" Melissa added. I miss him. I miss his giggle. I miss his warmth. Mostly I miss the fact that he is not with us these days to make more of his art for all of us. We sure could use a dose of his perspective on things."
See the trailer for the Little House on the Prairie reboot below...
Melissa concluded the moving tribute by sending love to Michael's kids, before adding: "Boy, I loved your dad…and I love you all so much." Michael passed away at age 54 in 1991, after battling pancreatic cancer. His work on Little House on the Prairie made the show into an enduring hit, well past its nine seasons and three TV movies.
His daughter, Leslie, previously opened up about how Michael neglected his health for years, until he couldn't ignore his symptoms anymore.
© Instagram"The one thing that I know was part of my dad's personality was his stubbornness. And I don't think staying on top of his health was a priority," she told Fox News. "I think he put it aside."
© Getty Images"I know that my mom often talked about getting him to his physicals," she continued. "[That] was always a feat. And so, by the time my dad was having uncontrollable pain in his stomach, he was on vacation with my stepmom and younger sibling…He flew home early from Utah to go to his doctor's appointment. He couldn't ignore it anymore."
She added that if her father were alive today, he would've regretted deprioritizing his health. "[He would say] 'I really should have been staying on top of my health every year and making sure I was getting full checkups.'"
