Melissa Sue Anderson | |
|---|---|
 Anderson as Mary Ingalls inLittle House on the Prairie, 1974 | |
| Born | (1962-09-26)September 26, 1962 (age 63) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as achild actress after appearing in several commercials in Los Angeles. Anderson is known for her role asMary Ingalls in theNBC drama seriesLittle House on the Prairie (1974–1983), for which she received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
She is also known for film roles that include Vivian inMidnight Offerings (1981),[1] Ginny in theslasher filmHappy Birthday to Me (1981),[2] and Alex in theABC Afterschool Special,Which Mother Is Mine? (1979).[3]
Anderson became a naturalized citizen of Canada in 2007. In 2010, she publishedThe Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, an autobiographical account of her years acting inLittle House on the Prairie.
Anderson was born on September 26, 1962, inBerkeley, California,[4] the second of two daughters, to James and Marion Anderson.[5] Her sister Maureen is 12 years her senior.[5] When she was seven years old, Anderson's family relocated from theSan Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.[5] Her parents divorced when she was 13 years old, and she was raisedRoman Catholic by her mother.[5] As a young child, Anderson appeared in commercials forMattel andSears.[5]
Anderson's show-business career began when a dance teacher urged her parents to find an agent for her.[6] After appearing in commercials, she was soon in demand for television roles. Another memorable early role was as Millicent, a girl who kissed Bobby inThe Brady Bunch. She also appeared in an episode ofShaft the same year.[5]
At the age of 11, Anderson landed the role of Mary Ingalls inLittle House on the Prairie. She would go on to star in the series for eight seasons, beginning in 1974, and leaving after season seven; she later appeared in three episodes of season eight in late 1981.
In 1976,Michael Landon asked Anderson if she would appear in his autobiographical filmThe Loneliest Runner. Anderson agreed to play Nancy Rizzi, the first girlfriend of John Curtis (based on Landon and played byLance Kerwin), saying she was very thrilled to have been asked.[7] In 1977, she once again co-starred as the love interest opposite Kerwin in the television filmJames at 15.
She was nominated for a 1978 PrimetimeEmmy Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Series for her work onLittle House on the Prairie and won the Emmy Award for her performance inWhich Mother Is Mine?, which aired as anABC Afterschool Special in 1979.[8] Also in 1979, she played the title role of Dana Lee Gilbert, aNorth Dakotatransfer student to Los Angeles'San Fernando Valley, inCBS'stelevision filmSurvival of Dana.[9]
In 1980, Anderson earned a 'TP de Oro' Award (considered to be Spain's most prestigious award for television) for 'Best Foreign Actress' for her role inLittle House on the Prairie. This followed a successful visit to Spain in 1979 to appear as a guest onTelevisión Española's program,625 Lineas. In 1981, she earned aYoung Artist Award nomination for her performance in the Canadian slasher filmHappy Birthday to Me.[10] After leavingLittle House, she continued acting in television series likeThe Equalizer,Alfred Hitchcock Presents,CHiPs, andMurder, She Wrote, and was the associate producer for the penultimate television project Michael Landon made before dying:Where Pigeons Go to Die (1990).[11]
In 1998, she was inducted into theWestern Performers Hall of Fame at theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inOklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1999, she starred alongsideHeather Langenkamp in the short-lived television seriesPartners. In 2014, Anderson had an uncredited appearance as Stosh's mother in theneo-noirmysterycomedy drama filmVeronica Mars (2014).[12]
In 2010, Anderson released an autobiography titledThe Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.[12] The book, which is primarily based on her life during her years as a child star inLittle House on the Prairie, contains behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes about the show itself, its stars, guest stars, and crew members. The autobiography also covers her pre– and post–Little House career, her side-projects during theLittle House years and how her personal life was affected by her career.[citation needed]
Anderson married television writer and producer Michael Sloan in 1990.[13] They have two children, daughter Piper and son Griffin.[14] The family moved toMontreal in 2002 and becamenaturalized Canadians onCanada Day in 2007.[14][15] Sloan, who by now was living inNew York City, died on August 13, 2025.[16][17][18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Happy Birthday to Me | Virginia Wainwright | |
| 1984 | Goma-2 | Kukki | Uncredited[citation needed] |
| Chattanooga Choo Choo | Jennie | ||
| 1988 | The Suicide Club | Laura Donovan on TV | |
| Far North | Young Nurse | ||
| 1989 | Looking Your Best | ||
| 1990 | Dead Men Don't Die | Dulcie Niles | |
| 1991 | Manuel | ||
| 1994 | Animated Stories from the Bible: Music Video – Volume 1 | Snake | Video; voice role |
| 1995 | Killer Lady | American Lady | |
| 2006 | Crazy Eights | Hospital Patient | Uncredited[citation needed] |
| 2010 | Marker 187 | Short film | |
| 2014 | Veronica Mars | Stosh's Mother | Uncredited[12] |
| 2018 | The Con Is On | Guest Two |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Brady Bunch | Millicent | Episode: "Never Too Young" |
| Shaft | Cathy Muder (uncredited) | Episode: "The Enforcers" | |
| 1974–1981 | Little House on the Prairie | Mary Ingalls | Main role |
| 1976 | The Loneliest Runner | Nancy Rizzi | TV movie |
| 1977 | James at 15 | Lacey Stevens | Episode: "Pilot" |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Kate | Episode: "Very Good Friends" | |
| 1978 | The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour | Director of the musical | Episode No. 2 |
| 1978–1980 & 1986 | The Love Boat | Jennifer 'Chubs' Smith / Cindy Jerome / Cathy Cummings / Dana Colton | 4 episodes |
| 1979 | Survival of Dana | Dana Lee Gilbert | TV movie |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Alexandria 'Alex' Benton | Episode: "Which Mother Is Mine?" | |
| A New Kind of Family | Lisa | Episode: "The Overcharge" | |
| CHiPs | Herself | Episode: "Roller Disco" (Part 2) | |
| 1980 | Fantasy Island | Amy Marson | Episode: "Rogues to Riches/Stark Terror" |
| Insight | Mary Beth | Episode: "Princess" | |
| 1981 | Midnight Offerings | Vivian Sotherland | TV movie |
| Advice to the Lovelorn | Maureen Tyler | ||
| 1982 | An Innocent Love | Molly Rush | |
| 1982–1983 | Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | Kitty Pryde / Sprite | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 1983 | First Affair | Toby King | TV movie |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves | Nikki Gatos | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Murder, She Wrote | Eve Crystal | Episode: "Hooray for Homicide" | |
| Glitter | Elizabeth | Episode: "A Minor Miracle" | |
| 1984–1985 | Hotel | Cassie Ray / Anne Goldman | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Dark Mansions | Noelle Drake | TV movie |
| 1987 | The Equalizer | Yvette Marcel | 2 Episodes: "Memories of Manon: Parts 1 & 2"[19] |
| 1988–1989 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Laura Donovan / Julie Fenton | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | The Equalizer | Yvette Marcel | 2 Episodes: "The Mystery of Manon: Parts 1 & 2"[20] |
| 1989 | The Return of Sam McCloud | Colleen McCloud | |
| 1993–1994 | X-Men: The Animated Series | Snowbird | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Burke's Law | Michelle Ryder | Episode: "Who Killed Alexander the Great?" |
| 1998 | Earthquake in New York | Dr. Marilyn Blake | TV movie |
| 1999 | Partners | Cheryl Darrin | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Thin Ice | Tanya Ferguson | TV movie |
| 2006 | 10.5: Apocalypse | First Lady Megan Hollister | Miniseries |
| 2007 | Marco Polo | Mother | Voice, uncredited[citation needed] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
