Melissa Sue Anderson

Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress after appearing in several commercials in Los Angeles. Anderson is known for her role as Mary Ingalls on the NBC drama series Little House on the Prairie, on which she starred from 1974 until 1981. She is also known for her film roles, including Vivian in Midnight Offerings (1981), Ginny in the slasher film Happy Birthday to Me (1981), and Alex in the ABC Afterschool Special, Which Mother Is Mine? (1979).
Anderson became a naturalized citizen of Canada in 2007. In 2010, she published The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, an autobiographical account of her years acting on Little House on the Prairie.
== Early life ==
Anderson was born September 26, 1962, in Berkeley, California,[1] the second of two daughters, to James and Marion Anderson.[2] Her sister, Maureen, is twelve years her senior.[2] When she was seven years old, Anderson's family relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles.[2] Her parents divorced when she was thirteen years old, and she was raised Roman Catholic by her mother.[2] As a young child, Anderson appeared in commercials for Mattel and Sears.[2]
== Career ==
Anderson's show business career began when a dance teacher urged her parents to find an agent for her. After appearing in commercials, she was soon in demand for television roles. Her first came in a 1972 episode of Bewitched titled "Tabitha's First Day of School". Another memorable early role was as Millicent, a girl who kissed Bobby on The Brady Bunch. She also appeared in an episode of Shaft the same year.[2]
At the age of eleven, Anderson landed the role of Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. She would go on to star on the series for eight seasons beginning in 1974, and leaving after season seven; later appearing in two episodes of season eight in late 1981. The wig she wore in later episodes was made from Yak hair.[3]
In 1976, Michael Landon asked Anderson if she would appear in his autobiographical film The Loneliest Runner. Anderson agreed to play Nancy Rizzi, the first girlfriend of John Curtis (based on Landon and played by Lance Kerwin), saying she was very thrilled to have been asked. In 1977, she once again co-starred as the love interest opposite Lance Kerwin in the television film James at 15.
She was nominated for a 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Little House on the Prairie and won the Emmy Award for her performance in Which Mother Is Mine?, which aired as an ABC Afterschool Special in 1979. Also in 1979, she played the title role of Dana Lee Gilbert, a North Dakota transfer student to Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley in CBS's television film Survival of Dana.
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 in Little House on the Prairie. This followed a successful visit to Spain in 1979 to appear as a guest on RTVE's program, 625 Lineas. In 1981, she earned a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance in the Canadian slasher film Happy Birthday to Me.[4] After leaving Little House, she continued acting in television series like The Equalizer, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1980s), CHiPs and Murder, She Wrote, and was the associate producer for the next to last television project Michael Landon made before dying: Where Pigeons Go to Die (1990).[5]
In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1999, she starred alongside Heather Langenkamp in the short lived television series Partners. In 2014, Anderson had an uncredited appearance as Stosh's mother in the neo-noir mystery comedy-drama film Veronica Mars(2014).[6]
== Other ventures ==
In 2010, Anderson released her autobiography titled The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.[6] The book, which is primarily based on her life during her years as a child star on Little 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 the Little House years and how her personal life was affected by her career.
== Personal life ==
Anderson married television writer and producer Michael Sloan (The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Equalizer and others) in 1990.[7] The couple have two children, daughter Piper (b.1991) and son Griffin (b. 1996).[8] The family moved to Montreal in 2002 and became naturalized Canadians on Canada Day in 2007.[8][9]
== Filmography ==
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1972 	Bewitched 	Girl 	Episode: "Tabitha's First Day of School"
1973 	The Brady Bunch 	Millicent 	Episode: "Never Too Young"
1973 	Shaft 	Cathy Muder (uncredited) 	Episode: "The Enforcers"
1974–81	Little House on the Prairie 	Mary Ingalls 	Main role
1976 	The Loneliest Runner 	Nancy Rizzi 	Movie
1977 	James at 15 	Lacey Stevens 	Episode: "Pilot"
1977 	ABC Afterschool Special 	Kate 	Episode: "Very Good Friends"
1978 	The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour 	Director of the musical 	Episode #2
1978–80,
1986	The Love Boat 	Jennifer 'Chubs' Smith / Cindy Jerome / Cathy Cummings / Dana Colton	4 episodes
1979 	Survival of Dana 	Dana Lee Gilbert 	Movie
1979 	ABC Afterschool Special 	Alexandria 'Alex' Benton 	Episode: "Which Mother Is Mine?"
1979 	A New Kind of Family 	Lisa 	Episode: "The Overcharge"
1979 	Little House Years 	Mary Ingalls 	Movie
1979 	CHiPs 	Herself 	Episode: "Roller Disco" (Part 2)
1980 	Fantasy Island 	Amy Marson 	Episode: "Rogues to Riches/Stark Terror"
1980 	Insight 	Mary Beth 	Episode: "Princess"
1981 	Midnight Offerings 	Vivian Sotherland 	Movie
1981 	Advice to the Lovelorn 	Maureen Tyler 	Movie
1982 	An Innocent Love 	Molly Rush 	Movie
1982/83	Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends	Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde / Sprite (voice) 	Episodes: "The Origin of Iceman", "The X-Men Adventure"
1983 	First Affair 	Toby King 	Movie
1984 	Finder of Lost Loves 	Nikki Gatos 	Episode: "Pilot"
1984 	Murder, She Wrote 	Eve Crystal 	Episode: "Hooray for Homicide"
1984 	Glitter 	Elizabeth 	Episode: "A Minor Miracle"
1984/85	Hotel 	Cassie Ray / Anne Goldman 	Episodes: "Lifelines", "Imperfect Union"
1986 	Dark Mansions 	Noelle Drake 	Movie
1987–88	The Equalizer 	Yvette Marcel 	4 episodes
1988/89	The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents 	Laura Donovan / Julie Fenton 	Episodes: "VCR – Very Careful Rape", "Murder in Mind"
1989 	Memories of Manon 	Yvette Marcel 	Movie
1989 	The Return of Sam McCloud 	Colleen McCloud 	Movie
1993/94	X-Men 	Snowbird (voice) 	Episodes: "Repo Man", "Phoenix Saga, Part 5: Child of Light"
1994 	Burke's Law 	Michelle Ryder 	Episode: "Who Killed Alexander the Great?"
1998 	Earthquake in New York 	Dr. Marilyn Blake 	Movie
1999 	Partners 	Cheryl Darrin 	3 episodes
2000 	Thin Ice 	Tanya Ferguson 	Movie
2006 	10.5: Apocalypse 	First Lady Megan Hollister 	Miniseries
2007 	Marco Polo 	Mother 	Voice role (uncredited)[citation needed]
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1981	Happy Birthday to Me 	Virginia Wainwright	
1983	First Affair 	Toby King 	
1984	Goma-2 	Kukki 	Uncredited[citation needed]
1984	Chattanooga Choo Choo 	Jennie 	
1988	The Suicide Club 	Laura Donovan on TV	
1988	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[6]
2018	The Con Is On