Little House On The Prairie: Pics Of The Current Cast Next To The Original '70s Stars

The story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her life growing up on the American frontier never gets old. The first of the nine semi-autobiographical books came out in 1932. Then there was the "Little House on the Prairie" TV show that debuted in 1974. Netflix launched its own version of the story of the Wilder family in 2026.

The 1970s show was a cultural phenomenon, telling a mix of tragic, comedic, dramatic, and heartwarming stories surrounding the Ingalls family with their lives in Walnut Grove. It brought to life some truly iconic characters like the feisty Laura aka "Half Pint," played by Melissa Gilbert; the steadfast Charles Ingalls or "Pa," played by Michael Landon; and the villainous Nellie Oleson, played by Alison Arngrim — keep an eye out for Arngrim's cameo in Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie."

The new show isn't a shot-for-shot remake of the 1970s series; instead, it's going to stick a bit closer to the books. It also brings in some new characters that weren't in the first TV show, like a family from the Osage Nation. But you still get many of the familiar figures from the 1970s version, so we thought we'd compare the then and now of some of the most beloved "Little House" characters.

In the "Little House" series from the 1970s, Charles Ingalls/"Pa" was played by Michael Landon, and he was instrumental in helping make the show the hit that it was. On an episode of "Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Podcast" — hosted by Pamela Bob and featuring Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder — they talked about how the show was known for telling heartwarming stories without being overly sentimental, which can be hard to do. Landon had a big part in that. Butler said: "Michael .... has a way he can turn that on a dime and find the humor in a moment, which immediately can yank you back away from the sentimentality into a good-natured laugh."

That means that Australian actor Luke Bracey has big shoes to fill as he plays Charles for Netflix. Bracey had never read the books or seen the original series before he got the part, but it sounds like he's fallen in love with the character. "My favorite thing about Charles is that he's a good bloke," Bracey told Netflix. "That's all I hope to be in life." He was able to bring the mix of compassion and strength that the role of Charles demands.

In the 1970s, Caroline Ingalls/"Ma" was played by Karen Grassle. It was her first-ever TV or film role, though she had worked in theater before. In an interview from 1975, Grassle revealed how excited she got while filming the first episode when she realized how well she'd be able to work with Michael Landon. "I knew we were going to play together," Grassle said. "We weren't just going to do lines together, and we weren't just going to be safe; we were going to allow something human," via YouTube.

Hopefully, Crosby Fitzgerald has the same kind of chemistry with Luke Bracey as she is taking on the role of Caroline for Netflix's "Little House." Fitzgerald is gorgeous in real life, and you might recognize her from Apple TV's "Palm Royale."

Fitzgerald was a big fan of both the books and the 1970s show, and she had a big reaction to getting the part. "I just fell to my knees and started crying. [It] changed my life pretty much," she told People.

The tomboyish and passionate Laura Ingalls is the center of "Little House on the Prairie," and in the 1970s, she was famously played by Melissa Gilbert. She became so associated with the role that she felt that people assumed she would be like Laura in real life. "I think people all ... still almost into my 40s always kind of half expected a 12-year-old to come in with a fishing pole [and ...] gingham," she revealed on "The Patrick LabyorSheaux" podcast.

It's something that Alice Halsey may have to look out for as she's taking on the role of Laura for the Netflix version. Halsey was 11 years old at the time of the Netflix premiere, two years older than Gilbert was when she started playing Laura. She did her research before filming, including reading all the books, but the period costumes really helped. "I'd already done a lot of stuff to figure out how I would be portraying this character," Halsey explained to Netflix, "but the costume just pulled everything together. I feel like Laura the most when I'm in costume out on the prairie."

In the 1970s, Melissa Sue Anderson played the studious and dependable Mary Ingalls, the oldest daughter of Charles and Caroline Ingalls. *Spoiler alert* for those who haven't read the books or seen the original series: Mary loses her eyesight. Anderson's acting work in the Season 4 finale episodes — where Mary first goes blind — earned her an Emmy nomination. That was the only Emmy nod that any actor got on the show. In later seasons, however, Mary's role in the show became smaller.

We'll have to wait and see if that is what happens to the Netflix Mary, played by Skywalker Hughes. The character of Mary is one Hughes has known for a long time. "I grew up with the books on my bedside table since I was itsy-bitsy," Hughes told Netflix, "and I would always get my mom to read them to me!"

Carrie Ingalls was Charles and Caroline's third daughter. In the 1970s, she was played by twins Sidney and Lindsay Greenbush. That version of the "Little House" story started with Carrie as a young toddler in Season 1 as the family moves from Wisconsin to Kansas. The Greenbush sisters were 3 when they filmed the pilot.

However, the Netflix series is more true to the books, and Carrie was born in Kansas. So viewers won't meet her until Episode 6. She makes a dramatic entrance in the middle of a snowstorm. The baby playing Carrie is as yet unnamed, and it's not clear at this time if it's a twin situation or if the same actor(s) will be used in future seasons. What we do know is that she's very cute.

Mr. Edwards from the original "Little House" series was played by Victor French. Mr. Edwards was a gruff, rugged bachelor farmer who befriended the Ingalls family, faced some personal tragedies, and caused the occasional bout of mischief and comic relief in Walnut Grove.

The Netflix Mr. Edwards had a bit of a glow up. He is played by Warren Christie, and this Mr. Edwards is played as a bit more of a heartthrob. However, he still has a complicated past; he's a Civil War veteran who's lost his wife and daughters. You might recognize Christie from Hallmark's "A Royal Montana Christmas."

While we haven't seen her yet, there are plans for Season 2 of Netflix's "Little House" to include Nellie Oleson, Laura Ingalls' rival and nemesis. Oleson was memorably played in the 1970s by Alison Arngrim. In the Netflix version, she will be played by Willa Dunn. Dunn played a young Meryl Streep on Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building." 

Another major character was Almanzo Wilder, Laura's eventual husband. We don't know who will play him (he was Dean Butler in the 1970s) or when he'll show up, as the Netflix series is moving more slowly than the first version. If the Netflix version is as big a hit as the original, it's likely to be a hotly coveted role.

It will also be interesting to see if the Netflix take on "Little House" has the same number of child actors who go on to become big stars. In the 1970s, it had Melora Hardin, Shannen Doherty, Jason Bateman, and Sean Penn in some of their earliest roles.