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This weekend, some of the cast members of the classic TV series “Little House on the Prairie” reunited at the 63rd Monte Carlo Television Festival, with the former child actors recalling their positive experiences on set 50 years ago.
people Alison Arngrim, 62, who played the show’s iconic villain Nellie Oleson, said she felt “very protected” on set, the magazine reported.
Matthew Rabiotou, 57, who plays Albert Ingalls, added: “I always felt that our crew was very protective of us kids.”
“If someone had actually caused trouble for me or the girls and the crew had found out, the bodies would never have been found,” Arngrim continued. “The vibe I got there was, to some extent, that we were very protected.”
Their comments took on special meaning coming on the heels of “Quiet on Set,” an expose on the abuse young actors suffered at Nickelodeon in the ’90s and early 2000s.
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Karen Grassl, 82, who played Caroline Ingalls, said:[Producer and star] Michael [Landon] We were smoking. We were smoking around our kids… We were putting out cigarettes on the dirt of Little House on the Prairie. Can you imagine that? It’s blasphemy.”
“And no one thought it strange,” Arngrim said.
Grassl said the party atmosphere on set was similar to Landon’s previous shows, such as “Bonanza,” but everyone agreed that even though it was a different time, the set was more relaxed.
“Little House was unlike any other set I had ever been on,” said Labiolteau, who co-starred with John Cassavetes in the 1974 film “Influence.”
“Little House on the Prairie” was a smash family hit that aired on NBC from 1974 to 1983. Producer and actor Michael Landon died of cancer in 1991 at age 54 while his daughter, Leslie Landon, was staying in Monaco.