By Gavin Boyle
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE actress Karen Grassle described a storyline she wished her character Caroline could’ve experienced.
“I did create a storyline that I wanted us to do, which was when tremendous amounts of pressure came to bear on Caroline, let’s say a dust storm or the crops were all eaten by the bugs, or whatever happened, that she had, like, a nervous breakdown,” Grassle said. “This was not uncommon. The pressures on the pioneer women were so intense that sometimes they did have nervous breakdowns, but, of course, the producer didn’t want Caroline having a nervous breakdown.”
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Related: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE’s Karen Grassle Talks About Journey to Sobriety
While this storyline didn’t appear on the show, it might have added even more to the show’s already impressive legacy. Over 50 years later, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE remains incredibly popular, and a storyline with a nervous breakdown may have given modern audiences even more to connect with, given that the topic of mental health is much less taboo today.
Nonetheless, the show enjoys a popularity that is unheard of decades after it first released, and the cast and crew are happy to share their stories from the set with those people so invested in the show.
“When we did the show, we went, ‘Yeah, this is a really good show, Oh, it seems to be a hit, that’s nice.’ But the idea that 50 years later, people would still be excited about it, it’s absolutely mind-blowing,” said Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson.
For Grassle, the show was extremely important for her life. Before being cast, she had had little luck finding work in Hollywood. She was even on the brink of quitting acting before she landed the role of Caroline.
“I was so broke and so discouraged about my career. I was thinking, ‘I better go back to school and learn to do something else.’ And I couldn’t figure out how in the world I was going to pay to go back to school,” Grassle recalled. “My agency started sending me on auditions. And I think it was two or three months later when I got the call about this new series called LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.”
“I feel honored. I based the character mostly on my mother. And I didn’t realize until later how much people truly love this character,” she added. “I initially didn’t understand the depths of people’s affections for her. But people still reach out to me and express how much they love her. It’s been very gratifying. And I’m awfully lucky.”
Grassle and many other cast and crew members will reunite later this year for a major LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE reunion. It will be so fun to see them all together and hear the amazing stories they share during that event.
Read Next: These LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Stars Just Shared a Sweet Reunion
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