Little House on the Prairie NBC TV Cast Information
Hersha
Parady was born on 25 May 1945, and raised in Ohio, USA. She later
became an actress, appearing on television and in the theatre.
Years later, while living in California, Hersha often used to look
after a free-spirited dog named Lightening, who used to roam the
streets of Hollywood. This is how Hersha came to meet and befriend
actress Katherine "Scottie" MacGregor, who also looked out for the
same dog! It was around that time that MacGregor was starring, as
Harriet Oleson, in the television series Little House on the
Prairie.
When Hersha starred in a play as Anne Hathaway, the wife of William
Shakespeare, MacGregor and her Little House co-star Richard Bull
came to see it. They were thoroughly impressed with Hersha's
performance, and recommended her to the Little House casting
director, as a possible new cast member.
This recommendation led to Hersha being cast as a guest star
(playing Michael Landon's sister-in-law) in one episode during the
third season, before being cast as a regular player in the role of
Merlin Olsen's wife, Alice Garvey, for Seasons 4 - 6.
Ironically, Hersha's own personal favourite Little House episode is
"May We Make Them Proud" - the one in which Alice Garvey and her
friends' infant son burn to death in the blind school! Hersha
relished acting in scenes containing real, controlled fire with the
Los Angeles Fire Department on hand for safety reasons! On her
unforgettable death scene, Hersha remarked: "At least I went out
with a bang and not a whimper!"
Hersha was once married to Oscar-winning producer John Peverall,
with whom she has a son named Jonathan. She currently lives in
Florida and continues to act in the theatre. In July 2005, she
delighted fans by attending a Little House on the Prairie reunion in
Tombstone, Arizona along with many other members of the cast.
Click here to read our exclusive interview with Hersha.
Biography written by Barnaby Marriott
