Michael Landon was a television staple of the mid-20th century. He starred in iconic shows such as “Bonanza” and “Highway to Heaven.” But decades later, he’s perhaps best known for playing the family patriarch, Charles Ingalls, on “Little House on the Prairie” from 1974 through 1983.
Though Landon passed away in 1991, many of his former “Little House” co-stars still share incredibly fond memories about him.
In a recent podcast episode, one of the former child actors detailed how “Little House” was so much more than a job for Michael Landon.
Michael Landon Left a Strong Impression on His ‘Little House’ Co-Stars
In 2024, “Little House on the Prairie” turned 50 years old. Many of the adult stars have passed away, but the former child stars continue sharing the memories.
Alison Arngrim played the schoolyard bully, Nellie Oleson, on the show, and had nothing but lovely things to say about Michael Landon.
“This show was so personal for him,” Arngrim shared on the “Little House 50th Anniversary” podcast. “There’s endless episodes and endless moments where Michael is like, as I said, it was therapy. He’s finding a way to get paid to go to therapy. He was working out endless personal issues and childhood conflicts.”
Michael Landon also served as a producer, director, and writer for the show. He starred in the show, but he also helped shape it into the classic series it became.
“He was just working [his issues] all out in front of all of America,” the former child star added. “And it was brilliant. And it worked.”
The ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Creator Modeled His Leadership Style After Landon
Linwood Boomer played Adam Kendall, Charles Ingalls’ son-in-law, in later seasons of the show. After “Little House” ended, Boomer went on to create one of the biggest sitcoms of the early 2000s, “Malcolm in the Middle.”
As Boomer stepped into his leadership role, he remembered the example Michael Landon set. At the end of the day, he wanted the kids to be kids.
“Little kids should not be full-time employees. You know, they should not have adult kind of jobs and adult kind of responsibilities,” the “Malcolm in the Middle” creator revealed on “The Joe Vulpis” podcast. “And I think it can be very harmful to a kid to be in that situation where they’re supporting the family and they’re sort of the authority figure or power figure in a family, and they’re like 9. You know, they’re not equipped to handle it.”
“That has always been like a thing that I carry because I saw Michael was really good about that with the kids. And the hours were set up so that the kids could be kids,” Boomer said of his former co-star.
In 1991, Michael Landon received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He passed away on July 1, 1991, with his wife at his side. Even 35 years after his passing, Michael Landon serves as an inspiration for his former peers and audience members around the world.
