Melissa Gilbert was adopted as a new-born baby by a well-known Hollywood family. Her parents were actors and her grandfather was a television writer. Her parents divorced when she was eight and her adoptive father died when she was 11

became one of the principal actors, playing Laura Ingalls, in the long-running television series Little House on the Prairie, whose male lead, Michael Landon, became a surrogate father-figure to her. She has a large number of other acting credits to her name.

The family also includes an adopted brother, Jonathan, now a New York stockbroker, who as a child also acted in Little House on the Prairie, playing the part of Willie Oleson; he also later acted with Melissa in The Miracle Worker. Their half-sister, Sara, who played Darlene in the sitcom Roseanne, is not adopted.

References

Lifetime Entertainment Services. "More About Melissa Gilbert's Personal Life." [Includes portrait]. Available at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/onair/intimate/frameset.shtml/port9818_2.html
Jenkins, Shannon. "The Unofficial Melissa Gilbert Homepage." [Includes portraits]. Available at: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/5998/melissa.html
Krijgsman, P.D. "About Sara: The Unofficial Sara Gilbert Fan Page." [Includes portraits]. Available at: http://www.geocities.com/~krijgsman/sara/_sara.htm
Slegg, Jennifer. "Jonathan Gilbert." Available at: http://carver.pinc.com/home/jenslegg/jgilbert.htm

Indexes

European
USA
20th Century
21st Century
Theater, Broadcasting, Cinema
Formal, American/European-Type Adoption
Birth or Infancy
Wealthy, Famous, Noble or Divine Adoptive or Foster Families
Divorce or Premature Death of Adoptive Parent(s)