"Worlds collide. Blessings abound. Hearts heal and come together. Magic happens," wrote Melissa Gilbert (61) on her Instagram this past weekend after the premiere of her playPen Pals in Off-Broadway in New York. On stage, she is joined by Veanne Cox. But the news was not about the premiere, but about what was happening behind the scenes.
She also revealed a secret, "one that I have been holding close to my heart for some time. Reconnecting with a sister. Long healing conversations. Many nostalgic memories. Much to catch up on. Lots of laughter and a few tears." The actress refers to the end of her friendship with Melissa Sue Anderson (63), who played Mary Ingalls, her older sister in Little House on the Prairie.
During filming, Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls, had a tough time. The actress was blunt in an interview for the popular series' website where she confessed that Melissa Sue became "her boss." "She took it very seriously. She was two years older than me, which, you know, when you are 9 and 11 years old, is a big deal... She was tough. I mean both behind and in front of the camera, but especially in front of the camera."
On her part, Melissa Sue Anderson explained 15 years ago in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that she doesn't have "honestly many memories of the two of them from that time. We were very, very different." After four decades apart, Gilbert has now stated on her social media that "the best part is that the past is now just that and we can move forward as the sisters/friends we always wanted to be. What a wonderful Christmas gift."
Little House on the Prairie aired from 1974 to 1983. After filming ended, each of the actresses continued with their lives. Melissa Gilbert continued to have success on the small screen, not as much on the big screen, and was married three times. With Bo Brinkman (1988-1994), she had her daughter Dakota, and with Bruce Boxleitner (1995-2011), she had her son Michael.
Since 2013, she has been married to Timothy Busfield (68), who was well known in our country for the series Thirtysomething (1987-1991). After residing for a few years on a ranch in Michigan, they moved to New York in 2018. Their getaways from the city are to the cabin they bought in the Catskill Mountains.
For over two decades now, Gilbert has been completely sober after a period of alcohol addiction and dependence on various medications.
On the other hand, Melissa Sue Anderson's private life has been much more low-key than her colleague's. In 1990, she married producer and writer Michael Sloan, from whom she widowed last August, and with whom she had two children, Piper and Griffin. In 2007, they both obtained Canadian citizenship.
Like her colleague, she had considerable success on television, although she has not worked in the industry since 2007. However, in film, her last collaboration dates back seven years.