Biography for
Melissa Gilbert (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 May 1964, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

Melissa Ellen Gilbert

Nickname

Missy

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Spouse

Bruce Boxleitner	(1 January 1995 - present) 1 son
Bo Brinkman	(21 February 1988 - 1992) (divorced) 1 son

Trivia

She is the youngest person ever to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Granddaughter of Harry Crane.

Had a highly publicized relationship with Rob Lowe during the eighties and were supposedly engaged.

Adopted sister of Sara Gilbert. Sara is the natural daughter of Barbara Cowan and Harold Abeles. Cowan and late husband Paul Gilbert together adopted Melissa and Jonathan Gilbert. Sara took the last name of Paul Gilbert when she began acting in 1984.

Goddaughter of Charlie Brill.

Sister of actor Jonathan Gilbert.

Dated Tom Cruise when both were teenagers.

In national voting completed on Friday, 2 November 2001, Melissa Gilbert was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild, taking the position held since November of 1999 by William Daniels, who declined to run for another term. She held the position until 2005, when she was replaced by Alan Rosenberg.

Was introduced to present husband, Bruce Boxleitner, by his ex-wife, Kathryn Holcomb.

Has a combined family with her husband, Bruce Boxleitner: Bruce's two sons, Sam (b. 1980) and Lee (b. 1985), her own son, Dakota Paul (b. 1 May 1989) and one son together with Bruce, Michael Garrett (b. 6 October 1995).

Gilbert was one of 500 young girls who auditioned for the role of Laura Ingalls Wilder in the TV series "Little House on the Prairie" (1974) and she was the only one whose screen test was sent to be considered at NBC Studios. It was Michael Landon's daughter Leslie Landon who told Melissa that she had won the role of Laura when the two of them stood in line at their school cafeteria.

Michael Landon Jr. took her to her senior prom in 1981.

Inducted (as a cast member of "Little House on the Prairie" (1974)) into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1998.

Both her ex-spouse (Bo Brinkman) and current spouse (Bruce Boxleitner) played Confederate officers in Gods and Generals (2003).

Ranked #31 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars"

Adopted daughter of Paul Gilbert and Barbara Cowan.

Aunt of Sara Gilbert's son Levi and daughter Sawyer.

Best known by the public for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on "Little House on the Prairie" (1974).

Where Are They Now

(2006) Co-host, with Leeza Gibbons, of an infomercial for "SheerCover" cosmetics.

(2007) Co-hostess, with Chaz Dean, of an infomercial for Chaz's "Wen" healthy hair care system. Also appearing are Finola Hughes, Ming-Na and Jennie Garth.

(2008) Will be playing the role of "Ma" in the Guthrie Theatre production of "Little House"

(July 2008) Playing Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in "Little House on the Prairie," a musical adaptation for the stage at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(2009) Release of her book, "Prairie Tale".

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