Characters
Who’s who in Walnut Grove: the Ingalls family, the Olesons and the townspeople of Little House on the Prairie, and the actors who played them. Click through to watch the Prairie Talk episodes where Blades and Mayo talk about them.
The Ingalls Family
Charles “Pa” Ingalls
Played by Michael Landon
Farmer, carpenter, fiddle player and the heart of the show. Pa works himself to the bone, never stops joking with his girls, and always seems to know the right thing to say. Landon also produced the series and wrote and directed many of its episodes.
Watch: Prairie Talk #04: Characters →Caroline “Ma” Ingalls
Played by Karen Grassle
Calm, patient and tougher than she looks. Ma holds the family together through blizzards, fevers, failed crops and every one of Pa’s big ideas.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Played by Melissa Gilbert
Pa’s “Half-pint.” A tomboy with a temper who grows up to be a teacher, a wife and a writer. The whole show is her story, based on the books the real Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote.
Watch: Prairie Talk #10: Book vs. Show →Mary Ingalls Kendall
Played by Melissa Sue Anderson
The eldest daughter: studious, serious and a little bit perfect. In season 4 Mary loses her sight, goes to a school for the blind, and marries her teacher, Adam Kendall.
Carrie Ingalls
Played by Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush
The youngest Ingalls girl for most of the show, played by twin sisters who took turns in the role. Yes, that’s Carrie taking a tumble running down the hill in the opening credits.
Watch: Prairie Talk #17: The Kids →Grace Ingalls
Played by Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh
The baby of the family, born in season 4. Another set of twins shared the part.
Albert Quinn Ingalls
Played by Matthew Labyorteaux
A street kid from Winoka whom the Ingalls take in and adopt. Albert gets some of the show’s biggest storylines, including the two-parter about his morphine addiction.
Watch: Prairie Talk #15: Albert Fan →James and Cassandra Cooper
Played by Jason Bateman and Missy Francis
Orphaned brother and sister who join the Ingalls family after their parents die. Yes, that Jason Bateman.
The Olesons
Harriet Oleson
Played by Katherine MacGregor
Owner of Oleson’s Mercantile, Walnut Grove’s biggest snob and loudest gossip. Nobody yells “Nels!” like Harriet.
Nels Oleson
Played by Richard Bull
Harriet’s long-suffering husband. Kind, fair and the reason anyone still shops at the Mercantile.
Nellie Oleson Dalton
Played by Alison Arngrim
Laura’s blonde, ringleted rival and TV’s most famous brat. Nellie finally softens after she marries Percival Dalton. She even had a fan, who came on our show. Twice.
Watch: Nellie Fan →Watch: Nellie Fan 2 →Willie Oleson
Played by Jonathan Gilbert
Nellie’s bratty little brother, played by Melissa Gilbert’s real-life brother. Willie grows up into one of the nicer Olesons.
Watch: Prairie Talk #17: The Kids →Nancy Oleson
Played by Allison Balson
An orphan Harriet adopts after Nellie moves away, chosen mostly because she looks like Nellie. She turns out to be even meaner.
Percival Dalton
Played by Steve Tracy
The bookkeeper Harriet hires to straighten out the restaurant. He straightens out Nellie instead, and marries her.
The People of Walnut Grove
Isaiah Edwards
Played by Victor French
The Ingalls family’s rough, hard-drinking, big-hearted friend from the very first episode. Victor French later teamed up with Landon again on Highway to Heaven.
Doc Baker
Played by Kevin Hagen
Walnut Grove’s one and only doctor. He delivers babies, sets bones and sits up all night with the sick, often for whatever a family can afford to pay.
Reverend Alden
Played by Dabbs Greer
The town’s preacher, whose church doubles as the schoolhouse.
Lars Hanson
Played by Karl Swenson
Founder of Walnut Grove and owner of the mill, where Pa often picks up work.
Miss Beadle
Played by Charlotte Stewart
Laura and Mary’s first teacher, kind and endlessly patient with the Oleson kids.
Jonathan, Alice and Andy Garvey
Played by Merlin Olsen, Hersha Parady and Patrick Labyorteaux
Pa’s best friend and his family. Merlin Olsen was a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams before he was a farmer in Walnut Grove. Patrick Labyorteaux is the real-life brother of Matthew, who played Albert.
Almanzo Wilder
Played by Dean Butler
The farmer who catches Laura’s eye. He calls her “Beth,” and they marry in season 7, just like the real Laura and Almanzo did.
Adam Kendall
Played by Linwood Boomer
Mary’s blind teacher and later her husband. Boomer went on to create Malcolm in the Middle.
Hester-Sue Terhune
Played by Ketty Lester
A teacher at the blind school who later moves to Walnut Grove and works at the restaurant.
Little House: A New Beginning
After Michael Landon and Karen Grassle left, season 9 was renamed Little House: A New Beginning and centered on Laura, Almanzo and some new neighbors.
Jenny Wilder
Played by Shannen Doherty
Almanzo’s orphaned niece, who comes to live with Laura and Almanzo in the final season.
John and Sarah Carter
Played by Stan Ivar and Pamela Roylance
The new family that moves into the Ingalls’ little house once Pa and Ma move away.