Melissa Sue Anderson recently turned 61 – hold your heart before you see her now.
How many times has it happened that you think of an old show you used to love watching and wonder what the actors are doing after so many years? I guess many of you that have seen “Little House on the Prairie” and were eager to see each new adventure of the family living on the farm in Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, would love to know what the actors are up to these days.
Those fans who were fond of the actress playing Mary Ingalls, beautiful Melissa Sue Anderson, were convinced she would continue being part of their life through the small screens, but she had other plans.
Today, she speaks of her decision to leave Hollywood behind and move to Canada.
The actress began her acting journey by taking on small roles, but her breakthrough came when she became a prominent figure in the TV show “Little House on the Prairie.” Her exceptional acting skills earned her numerous nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and her fans recognized her well-deserved success.
In 2010, Anderson shared her experience filming the drama that brought her fame. She mentioned that she was fortunate to have a character to play, as the book didn’t have much of one. The author, Laura Ingalls, wrote the novels when she was older and focused on the best parts of her life. The characters of Ma and Mary didn’t have a significant role. The story mainly revolved around Laura, Pa, Jack the dog, and Mr. Edwards. Anderson considered herself lucky that they realized she could act.
After playing Mary Ingalls, she took on smaller roles before marrying television producer Michael Sloan in 1990. In 2002, she relocated to Montreal with her husband and two kids, Piper and Griffin.
In 2007, the family became Canadian citizens and with the new life came new commitments, so Anderson decided to let go of the showbiz because she wanted to spend more time with her kids and didn’t want them to feel pressured to pursue acting careers themselves.
During an E-Talk interview, Anderson mentioned that he took a break for a while. It was mainly for the children to develop their own identity instead of just being around him.
Despite not fully retiring from acting, Anderson has taken on minor roles in recent years. Her involvement in “Little House on the Prairie” inspired her to write a memoir called “The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.”
