Melissa Gilbert Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Born on May 8, 1964, Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress and television director who started from a humble beginning as a child actress and grew to prominence with hard work. Her debut acting role was at age three when in the film, The Reluctant Astronaut, 1967. A year on, she made a television debut in The Dean Martin Comedy Hour, Gunsmoke, 1972 and Emergency, 1972. She also appeared in several television commercials afterwards. Gilbert played the role of Laura Ingalls Wilder NBC series, Little House on the Prairie in 1974.

Melissa Gilbert also featured in films like The Diary of Anne Frank and the Miracle Worker. Gilbert contested in the season fourteen of the dance competition show Dancing with the Stars in 2012. She fought and won the Democratic primary to run for U.S Congress in the 8th Michigan congressional district in 2016 but later dropped out on health issues. In 2001 to 2005, she served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild.

Early Life And Family

Melissa Gilbert was born on May 8, 1964, in Los Angeles, California to David Darlington and Kathy Woods. She was however adopted after her birth by Paul Gilbert, actor and comedian and Barbara Crane a dancer and actress. They also adopted a son, Jonathan. The family lived together until their divorce when Gilbert was just eight. She lived with her mother who later married Harold Abeles. Her adoptive father Paul died when she was 11 years. She played role in other films and television like Emergency, 1972, Tenafly in 1973

Career