The Cameo In The Little House On The Prairie Reboot That's A Cheeky Nod To The OG Series

With its adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved novels, Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" is trying to be more authentic than the classic series that ran for nine seasons. Staying truer to the books, the new version of the classic story better represents what the Ingalls family faced, but that doesn't mean it is ignoring the seminal series that came before it. Alison Arngrim, who played school bully Nellie Oleson in the original series, appears in the second episode of the Netflix show as Ida, a drifter whom sisters Laura and Mary Ingalls — played by Alice Halsey and Skywalker Hughes — run into when they get lost in the woods. And while she may not be playing the same spoiled girl everyone loved to hate in the 1970's version, Arngrim's character in the new series still has it out for the Ingalls sisters. 

In the episode, Arngrim holds them against their will until they are saved by family friend John Edwards (Warren Christie). For the actor, who has changed quite a lot since leaving the prairie four decades ago, it was an experience she didn't want to miss out on. Speaking with Tudum, Arngrim explained how she felt when they explained the role to her; "I thought, 'Oh, that's creepy as all get‑out. That sounds right up my alley. I'll be right over!'" Once she arrived on set, the actor was surprised by how different the show would be from the version that made her famous, explaining, "The first part that blew my mind was the costuming. On our show in 1974, we didn't really do corsets... but on this show, it's the slip, and then the corset goes over the slip, full corseting, full costuming. I was in heaven. I love this stuff."

Alison Arngrim's return to "Little House on the Prairie" wasn't an accident. The Netflix show's creator, Rebecca Sonnenshine, created the character of Ida with Arngrim in mind, telling Variety, "...when I was writing Episode 2, I was telling a couple of my friends, 'I want to get Alison Arngrim to play this lady, do you think she'd do it?'" Sonnenshine was a fan of Arngrim not only for her role in the  original series, but the work the actor has done since, explaining, "I read her autobiography, and it's so good. She's so smart and cool and interesting and funny." And, to Sonnenshine's joy, Arngrim was willing to do anything, saying, "She was such a good sport. She was like, 'Can I have more stuff on my teeth?' Sure! Go for it!'" And while Arngrim is the only original cast member to appear on screen, she wasn't the only one on set. Original Laura Ingalls actor Melissa Gilbert paid the new show a visit during production to show her support.

It's unknown if Arngrim, who was missing from the forgotten "Little House on the Prairie" movies, will pop up again, but the character she made famous will. "Little House on the Prairie's" second season will see the Ingalls family arriving in Walnut Grove and Laura having to deal with Nellie Oleson, who will be played by Willa Dunn. Arngrim celebrated the casting on Instagram, writing, "Bow down and tremble before her new majesty the new Nellie, Miss Willa Dunn!!!" She also offered some advice to the new Nellie, telling Dunn, via Tadum, "Take it and run with it. Enjoy yourself. As far as I know, it's the most fun part to play ever."