Melissa Gilbert opens up about her 'Little House on the Prairie' identity

Melissa Gilbert, who grew up playing Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie, recently shared that people couldn’t separate her from the character well into adulthood.

The 61-year-old American actress appeared on The Patrick LabyorSheaux with Patrick Labyorteaux on July 8, where they talked about the show Little House on the Prairie, which aired from 1974 to 1983.

The host said, “So here you are, America's sweetheart, literally. Maybe a few years ago, they let you take the pigtails out, but now you're 19, you're a real-life woman, and you're out in Hollywood.”

Labyorteaux went on to ask about a difficulty in having a “real-life relationship” where fans “did not expect” her to be Laura.

Expressing her thoughts, Gilbert said, “It was weird. I think people still, almost into my 40s, always kind of half expected a 12-year-old to come in with a fishing pole [and in] gingham. And that, at that time, to me, felt like a weakness.”

However, she eventually learnt how to turn it into a “strength” for herself, as there was a “shock factor” attached when people realised, “She's a full-grown adult with opinions and ideas that are smart and work.”

Gilbert quipped, “It was something that I used to my advantage certainly later on,” as child stars grow up in two ways, they “either grow up super sheltered and don't know how to do things like wash dishes or super overexposed and exploited,” while they face “the big problems.”