This ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Cast Member Revealed She Was ‘Never Invited’ to Fan Events
Little House on the Prairie remains a fan favorite when it comes to family television. Created by Michael Landon, the historical drama was a hit on NBC from 1974 to 1983 and put the spotlight on many actors in the ensemble cast. Several Little House co-stars still make the rounds at events for loyal viewers, though this cast member didn’t know these gatherings existed until a few years ago.
Charlotte Stewart raved of her ‘Little House’ co-stars
Charlotte Stewart portrayed Walnut Grove school teacher Eva Beadle for the first four seasons of Little House. She described Landon’s charm and popularity, sharing that she still gets questions about working with the Bonanza alum.
“Michael was unstoppable, you know?” Stewart told Smashing Interviews in 2016. “To this day, I get emails all the time from people that want to know what it was like to be around him. It was hysterical. He was really funny. He was a good guy, one of the really good ones.”
Co-star Victor French played the lovable Isaiah Edwards on the series. Stewart revealed she got quite close with the actor when he went through a difficult split from his wife.
“We became very good ‘friends’,” Stewart said of her relationship with French. “I enjoyed his company a great deal. He was older and more sensible and not married. … He was just one of the most charming and funny men and had such a good heart. He was really suffering from his breakup with Julie Cobb. His marriage had broken up. It was kind of comfort time.”
Alison Arngrim recruited Charlotte Stewart for ‘Little House’ fan events
Since Little House left the airwaves, the show’s legacy has been kept alive through various nationwide fan events. Cast members including Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) have attended several gatherings, though Stewart wasn’t aware of the events until Arngrim clued her in.
“I wasn’t invited,” the Little House alum remarked. “I was never invited. Then all of a sudden, Alison Arngrim said, ‘You’ve got to go! You have to see this phenomenon.'”
Stewart wasn’t the only former co-star on Arngrim’s list of recruits. She tracked down several Little House cast mates to have them join in on the nostalgia.
“Alison was on a mission,” Stewart wrote in her book, Little House in the Hollywood Hills: A Bad Girl’s Guide to Becoming Miss Beadle, Mary X, and Me. “She was after me, after Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls), Matthew Labyorteaux (Albert Ingalls), Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder), Radames Pera (John Sanderson Edwards), and others. When Alison won’t let something go, eventually everyone has to freaking give in.”
‘Little House’ remains a favorite almost 50 years after debut
Stewart described how moved she was at the reception the Little House cast received at her initial fan event.
“The first time I went, it knocked my socks off!” Stewart said. “I started crying as I walked down the aisle in a big outdoor park where there was probably 1,000 people clapping. It just overwhelmed me. I so appreciate our fanbase.”
Coming up on 50 years since its premiere, Little House remains a top viewing pick thanks to its family-friendly content.
“People have grown up with it,” Stewart commented. “Women have especially, although I have met men that say they watched it with their moms and grandmas. They’ve grown up with it, and now they’ve got children and grandchildren, and they’re bringing them along because it’s such a good family show.”
