Remember The Original Almanzo Wilder? What Little House Star Dean Butler Looks Like Today
Who could forget the dreamy blue eyes of Almanzo Wilder? Played by young actor Dean Butler in the original "Little House on the Prairie" series, which aired from 1974 to 1983, Almanzo was the "farmer boy" that Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) fell in love with and ultimately married. Butler turned 70 in May 2026 and, unsurprisingly, he still has that same irresistibly charming smile and twinkle in his eye. If you've ever wondered what happened to the cast of "Little House on the Prairie," it's always worth checking out their Instagrams. Butler posts often, revealing what he looks like as an older adult. In a video uploaded to Instagram on May 20, 2026, the actor looked dapper in a suit with a yellow-and-blue checkered button-down shirt while celebrating his birthday.
His hair is gray now, but it still has that same side swoosh as it did during his younger days. Butler presents himself with confidence and a sense of humor, and he looks just as handsome at 70 as he did when he played Almonzo in his early twenties. The "Little House" fan favorite has aged like fine wine, and fans were eager to let him know. One user commented, "There is just NO WAY you are 70! Happy birthday Alla-manzy!" Another admitted, "I too said, no way 70! Look no more than 50!"
Dean Butler and Melissa Gilbert addressed their controversial age-gap kiss
During a July 2026 interview with Yahoo! Creators, Dean Butler enthused, "Being on 'Little House on the Prairie' was a wonderful fate for me. It speaks to, in so many ways, the way I was raised." Of course, his time on the beloved show wasn't without controversy. One moment in particular has continued to prove problematic: When Almanzo first kissed Laura (Melissa Gilbert), in Season 6's "Sweet Sixteen." Dean Butler revealed his favorite "Little House on the Prairie" episode was this one, during a 2021 interview with the Daily Planet, which caused some uncomfortable feelings for Gilbert.
In a since-deleted November 2025 Instagram post, the former child star confessed to being "nauseated" at the alarming age gap between them. Her co-star was eight years older, while Gilbert was just 15. "Through the lens of today, this is shocking," she wrote in part (via USA Today). "I have no words other than to say, 'I WAS A CHILD.' 'I WAS FIFTEEN.' And I was the good news." For his part, Butler acknowledged to People in 2024, "I think that there was anxiety on both sides of that kiss and how is this going to go?"
He added, "I've often said to Melissa, 'I wish we could have been a little closer in age when we were doing this.'" The actor also pointed out that the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose books about her life in the 1870s-1890s are what the series is based on, "was 10 years younger than Almanzo" in real life. Despite this, Butler and Gilbert are clearly still friendly with each other, and even shared a laugh in a June 2025 TikTok.