‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star Alison Arngrim Is ‘A Hoot and a Half,’ Says Mary McDonough of ‘The Waltons’
Mary McDonough and Alison Arngrim both grew up on TV in the 1970s. Arngrim played iconic mean girl Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie, while McDonough played Erin Walton on the popular CBS series The Waltons. Both were wholesome family shows set in an earlier time, so perhaps it’s no wonder that McDonough and Arngrim ended up becoming friends.
Mary McDonough and Alison Arngrim became friends
McDonough reflected on her time on The Waltons and growing up in Hollywood in her 2011 memoir, Lessons From the Mountain. In the book, she recalled meeting other young actors from different shows and her friendship with Arngrim.
“Another perk of hanging out with kids from other shows was meeting Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson on Little House [on the Prairie],” McDonough wrote. “She is a hoot and a half. With her wit and personality, it’s no wonder she went into stand-up.”
‘The Waltons’ and ‘Little House on the Prairie’ actors remained close after their shows ended
Arngrim left Little House in 1981, after seven seasons, the same year that The Waltons was canceled. However, Arngrim and McDonough’s remained friends long after their respective shows ended. Arngrim was a regular at McDonough’s annual Christmas brunch, and she also played a role in McDonough’s 2001 short film For the Love of May.
“She was at my Christmas party and entertained everybody all night long. She is hilarious,” McDonough told ChicagoPride.com in 2011.
The two actors also appeared together that year for an event held at the Santa Monica Public Library (via YouTube). They discussed McDonough’s memoir as well as Arngrim’s 2010 book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch.
‘The Waltons’ star also became friends with ‘Little House on the Prairie’ star Melissa Gilbert
Alison Arngrim wasn’t the only Little House on the Prairie cast member who McDonough became friends with. During her time on The Waltons, McDonough also got to know Arngrim’s on-screen rival Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls.
McDonough and Gilbert met at a party for the magazine Tiger Beat and became good friends. They even took group skiing trips in the mountains near LA, along with Gilbert’s then-boyfriend, Rob Lowe. McDonough also bonded with Little House actor Melissa Sue Anderson when they co-starred in the 1981 TV movie Midnight Offerings.
“It was interesting hanging out with actors before they got their big breaks, and then seeing their careers take off,” McDonough recalled. “Rob’s certainly did. It was fun to follow their success and remember a simpler time when we all skied and just hung out at my house.”
“I feel lucky to have had Alison and Melissa’s friendship over the years,” she added. “We have a common bond, having lived through growing up on television.”
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