‘little House On The Prairie’ Star Melissa Gilbert Says Her Birth Father Knew Her Identity After Watching Show

After Melissa Gilbert’s biologic begetter saw her connected television, he knew that nan young character was his child.

The erstwhile kid star, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder successful "Little House connected nan Prairie," precocious appeared connected her co-star Patrick Labyorteaux’s podcast, "The Patrick LabyorSheaux." She described what it was for illustration getting successful interaction pinch her commencement begetter aft she welcomed her boy Dakota successful 1989.

"I didn't show him who I was, and past he asked me, ‘Well, who are you? What do you do?’" Gilbert recalled.

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Melissa Gilbert starred arsenic Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder successful "Little House connected nan Prairie." (Ted Shepherd/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

"And I said, ‘Well, here's nan thing… Did you ever watch ‘Little House connected nan Prairie?’ And he said, ‘You're Laura, aren't you? I knew it.’ He knew it."

"He could see," nan 61-year-old shared. "And erstwhile I met my half-siblings, we each looked alike. So you could decidedly spot it… It’s beautiful clear."

Labyorteaux, who was besides adopted, said he had a akin experience. Like Gilbert, his commencement mother died earlier he was capable to find her.

Patrick Labyorteaux arsenic Andrew "Andy" Garvey successful "Little House connected nan Prairie." (Ted Shepherd/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

"I ne'er met her, but I met her family, who was a stepfamily," nan character explained. "She had 3 kids that she had inherited from nan hubby that she married. So, she had 3 kids, but they weren't her biologic kids. She only had 1 biologic kid… They would watch ‘Little House’ and erstwhile I would show up… because of my eyes, they would go, ‘Oh, that’s astir apt your kid.' And they would make nosy of her for illustration that… They were right."

Gilbert was adopted by actors Barbara Cowan and Paul Gilbert. Her biologic parents were besides successful entertainment. According to nan star, her commencement mother was an exotic dancer and her begetter was a banal car racer and musician.

"It was beautiful clear that it was successful me," said Gilbert connected pursuing showbiz. "… All nan kids are performers connected some sides of that family. So it was familial and environmental."

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Melissa Gilbert said astir reconnecting pinch her commencement parents connected Patrick Labyorteaux’s podcast, "The Patrick LabyorScheaux." (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

"They were each joined to different people and had 3 children each and ran disconnected together and conceived maine connected a motorcycle travel successful nan desert," she said. "Explains a lot. And past they near their spouses for each different and sewage joined aft [getting] pregnant pinch maine and moved each nan kids in, truthful I was number seven. So, nan determination was made to put maine up for adoption."

Melissa Gilbert described nan group of "Little House connected nan Prairie" arsenic a nurturing group for each nan kid actors. Michael Landon himself was a begetter to 9 children. (Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

As Gilbert sewage older, she yearned to observe her roots.

"When I saw [my boy Dakota] for nan first time, I went, ‘Oh my God, he had my eyebrows, and he had my lips, and I’ve ne'er seen anyone that looked for illustration me,’" said Gilbert. "And past I realized there’s sewage to beryllium more."

After becoming a mom, Melissa Gilbert wanted to study much astir her roots. (Bobby Bank/Getty Images)

Her family inheritance wasn’t nan only point that Gilbert faced aft "Little House" came to an end.

In nan podcast, she described how, arsenic an adult, galore fans still expected her to beryllium Laura Ingalls.

"It was weird," Gilbert admitted. "I deliberation group still, almost into my 40s, ever benignant of half expected a 12-year-old to travel successful pinch a sportfishing rod [and in] gingham. And that, astatine that time, to me, felt for illustration a weakness."

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Melissa Gilbert said that moreover arsenic an adult, immoderate fans still saw her arsenic her characteristic Laura Ingalls. (NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

Gilbert said it was a "shock factor" erstwhile group realized that she was "a full-grown big pinch opinions and ideas that are smart and work."

For her, it was important to person an personality extracurricular of Hollywood.

"[As kid actors] we either turn up ace sheltered and don’t cognize really to do things for illustration lavation dishes, aliases [be] ace overexposed and exploited," she said.

Gilbert added that nan 2nd group are nan ones that extremity up struggling pinch "the large problems."

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So astatine property 22, she moved to New York City to look successful an Off-Broadway play. 

"There I was astatine 22, surviving connected my ain pinch my feline and my canine successful New York City, and wholly unprepared to unrecorded connected my ain entirely. Completely," she said.

"… I had to fig retired really to do truthful overmuch worldly that I had nary hint about," she shared. "Like, I didn't recognize that you could break a $100 measure astatine a bodega, and you didn't person to spell to a bank. It's small things for illustration that… At 1 point, [I] fto nan dishes heap up successful my descend truthful bad, and I didn't person a dishwasher, truthful I threw them retired and bought caller dishes. On my $700 a week net astatine that point."

As an adult, Melissa Gilbert went nether nan knife. But erstwhile she near Los Angeles, nan character felt she was capable to property gracefully. (Reuters)

Still, Gilbert had fond memories of increasing up connected nan group of "Little House."

"Our group was arsenic kid-friendly arsenic a group could beryllium astatine that time," she said. "Even pinch each nan big shenanigans going on, we were benignant of protected from a batch of that. I didn't cognize half nan worldly that nan grown-ups were doing until they started penning books astir it."

Back successful 2024, Gilbert told Fox News Digital she had to yet time off Los Angeles to property gracefully.

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Melissa Gilbert arsenic Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (left) and Alison Arngrim arsenic Nellie Oleson. (NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

"I looked astatine myself successful nan reflector respective years back," nan 61-year-old recalled astatine nan time. "I was surviving successful Los Angeles, and I did not admit who I was. I had overfilled my look and my lips. My forehead didn’t move. I was still dyeing my hairsbreadth red. I was driving a Mustang convertible. I was a size 2 successful an unhealthy way. I looked for illustration a stiff type of my younger self, and that’s not who I was."

Melissa Gilbert pictured successful 2012. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

"I was stuck," Gilbert admitted. "I could consciousness myself fighting it. And I said to myself, ‘It’s clip to age.’ I had to time off Los Angeles to do that – not Hollywood – Los Angeles specifically."

Gilbert said she and her husband, character Timothy Busfield, moved to his location authorities of Michigan pursuing their wedding successful 2013.

Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield joined successful 2013. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

They lived location for 5 years. She felt free to yet age.

"I stopped coloring my hair," she explained. "I had [my] bosom implants removed. I decided to conscionable beryllium nan best, healthiest type of myself without this unit to look a definite way, and it paid disconnected successful a immense way."

Melissa Gilbert said she feels free successful her skin. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

"I yet recovered my feet arsenic a woman, fully, 100 percent beardown successful my ain knowledge, successful my ain accomplishments. Everything sewage easier. And a bonus? I person a batch much free clip not staring successful a mirror, sitting successful a dermatologist's chair, aliases sitting successful a hairsbreadth chair."

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Melissa Gilbert, seen present pinch co-star Dean Butler, said she still has fond memories of bringing nan beloved classical bid to life. ( NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images)

In 2019, Gilbert and Busfield purchased a rustic cottage on 14 acres successful nan Catskill Mountains. Life coming is "incredibly fulfilling," she said.

"It’s remarkable," Gilbert gushed. "I emotion being this age. There are things astir it that are not a batch of fun. I don’t for illustration it erstwhile my ankles ache successful nan greeting aliases my skin’s drier. Aging is not for sissies, but it is surely amended than nan alternative. And I’ve ne'er felt amended successful my skin."