Melissa Gilbert‘s recent departure from Hallmark Channel’s “When Calls the Heart” has fans questioning if she has plans to take on a different role elsewhere.
After Gilbert, 62, announced on July 16 that she wouldn’t be returning to “WCTH” because of “budget issues” with the network, many fans — and we mean many — asked her on Instagram if she’d be making a cameo in Netflix’s new “Little House on the Prairie” reboot.
“Okay, I’m thinking a cameo on Little House is in order,” commented a fan under Gilbert’s Instagram post.
“I hope you come out as a surprise guest in the new show of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ like Alison surprised us,” wrote another.
“I sure am hoping to see Melissa in season 2 of Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie! It would be a hoot to see her as Mrs Oleson, but a lovely teacher would also be wonderful ❤️,” said a third.
Is Melissa Gilbert Joining the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Reboot?
Gilbert responded to several fans who asked if she’d be joining the reinstallation. In every reply, the actress consistently told fans that she has “not been asked” to make a cameo — but that doesn’t mean she won’t!
The “Little House on the Prairie” reboot follows the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, whom Gilbert notoriously played as a child actor in the original NBC series. Season 1 premiered on Netflix on July 9.
Before the reimagined western even debuted, it was renewed for season 2, Netflix reported. Filming for the second season has also already been underway.
Melissa Gilbert Excited to Watch ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Reboot
Rebecca Sonnenshine, showrunner of the reboot, told Netflix in an interview that the unbreakable relatability between fans and the Laura Ingalls Wilder character is what continues to keep the audience engaged despite the reboot premiering nearly 50 years after the original, which aired from 1974 to 1983.
“This show is a love story about a family. They’re a family you want to be with, you want to know, you want to spend time with,” Sonnenshine said. “That’s really at the core of what Little House on the Prairie is about: a family that is there for each other, tells stories to each other, tells stories about themselves.”
On the same day that the reboot was released, Gilbert shared her stamp of approval for the reimagined series. The former child star confirmed in an Instagram post that she’d be watching the new series, in which actress Alice Halsey plays the role of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“We’re putting on our prairie best and sending our warmest congratulations to the cast, crew and creative team before the premiere of the new adaptation,” Gilbert said. “Stories have a remarkable way of connecting generations, and we’re grateful to everyone who continues to introduce Laura’s timeless spirit of resilience, family, and hope to new audiences. We can’t wait to watch.”
Although she hasn’t been cast just yet, time can only tell just how far Gilbert’s “Little House on the Prairie” days will go.
