Alison Arngrim (Nellie) Exclusive Interview!
PrairieFans.com
would like to take the time out to thank Alison Arngrim for this
exclusive interview she gave us. Hope you all enjoy!
1. What was it like to be on Little House? Before you got the
role of Nellie Oleson had you ever read the books by Laura Ingalls
Wilder?
Well, it was wonderful. But strangely enough. I hadn't read the
books. I got them after I was on the show and found them
fascinating. I actually kind of look like the picture of Nellie in
"On The Banks Of Plum Creek."
2. Did you enjoy working with the cast and crew?
Yes, One of the best groups of people ever assembled.
3. What was the atmosphere like on the Little House set?
It was a little like being in a well run military unit. In a good
way. We all worked together toward a common goal and protected each
other like the guys in "Band Of Brothers" (the book where "Saving
Private Ryan" came from). The physical conditions were dirty and
brutal, (110 degree heat, freezing cold, dirt, mud, raging rivers,
poisonous snakes, no bathrooms), we ate as a group, (chow line) and
we had to "follow orders." By the third year I was calling Michael
"Field Marshall Landon"
4. What, if any, affect did your role as Nellie Oleson have on
your career over the years? Are you still associated with or
recognized from being on the show?
Hoo boy! Well, I wouldn't have a career if not for Little House. And
yes, everyday, someone stops me to ask about the show and someone
e-mails me, or writs to me, etc., etc.
5.Who would you say on the set made the biggest impression on you
personally?
Wow, a tough one. Obviously Melissa Gilbert is like my baby sister
and now that she's president of SAG and I'm on a committee, she's
still having quite an influence on me. Michael Landon taught me
about how to treat my fans. Steve Tracy' illness and death caused me
to become involved in the fight against AIDS. The list goes on.
6.
Do you have a favorite episode?
OK, I admit, like everyone else, I like the on where I went down the
hill in the wheelchair.
7. If a Little House Reunion was to be made what do you think
Nellie would be up to?
Oh how Melissa and I have pondered this one! I always had visions of
her living alone in a big old spooky house, like the Faversham woman
in "Great Expectations." Percival has died, Nellie is bitter and
angry at the doctors for not saving him.
She has sealed herself off from the world and is grooming Benny and
Jenny to be just like her and Willie. Only one person can talk her
way through the front door and have any hope of snapping her back to
reality. Yup, Laura. Her arch enemy and the only person who ever
really understood her.
Webmasters Note: Interview was done on September 10, 2003.
