Melissa Gilbert 'horrified' by '70s 'Little House on the Prairie' costume

Melissa Gilbert says she is “horrified” by a vintage Halloween costume based on her Little House on the Prairie character. 

The actress, 62, shared an Instagram post with a photo of herself as Laura Ingalls from the show, alongside a photo of the boxed costume and its mask. 

She joked about the likeness. 

“Of all the awards and accolades I have received: an Emmy, Theater World Award, Star on the Walk of Fame, nothing has flattered me more than this spot-on, beautifully conceived and wildly convincing costume,” she wrote. 

“I am truly honored yet strangely horrified at the same time.”

The costume was made by Brooklyn-based Ben Cooper, Inc., as part of its Famous Faces line, which paired a molded plastic mask with a smock-style prairie dress. 

The one Gilbert found is listed on eBay for $187.50.

Followers shared their own memories in the comments. 

Some said they dressed as Laura with original outfits, with comments like “cute little boots” and “I just put my hair in braids and wore a cute prairie-looking dress.” 

One woman admitted she wore the Famous Faces costume herself. 

“As a little girl in Oklahoma, I thought it was so Hollywood!!” she wrote. Another commenter said the makers “did you wrong”.

Little House on the Prairie premiered on NBC in 1974, when Gilbert was 10, and ran until 1983, when she was 19. 

At its peak it drew huge audiences. 

Gilbert said on the Hey Dude... podcast that it went off the air with around 20 million viewers. 

She recalled being mobbed in New York in the height of the show’s fame when she wore her hair in pigtails, and said her parents shielded her from “creepy fan mail” and still gave her chores.

Gilbert, who also played Ma in a stage musical of the story, has often joked about the show’s merchandise.