'little House On The Prairie' Star Says Controversial Storyline 'would Not Happen Today' Due To Age Gap

Alison Arngrim, who starred arsenic Nellie Oleson successful "Little House connected nan Prairie," believes there’s 1 section from nan bid that wouldn’t beryllium made today.

On a caller section of nan "Little House 50" podcast, Arngrim said to big Pamela Bob, arsenic good arsenic "Little House" co-star Dean Butler, astir an section from nan show’s 4th play titled "Here Come nan Brides," which aired successful 1977.

The section tells nan communicative of really Oleson is wooed by Luke Simms, a teen boy successful town. The 2 eloped aft a little romance. However, aft their parents recovered out, they were taken backmost to nan Justice of nan Peace to beryllium unmarried.

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Alison Arngrim starred arsenic "Nasty" Nellie Oleson successful "Little House connected nan Prairie."  (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Olesen said she had conscionable turned 15 erstwhile they changeable nan episode. Her characteristic was expected to beryllium 13.

"I was super… teenage [with] puberty insanity happening," Arngrim explained. "She’s conscionable hardly 13. This feline is, he’s playing I conjecture 16, 17. He’s successful his precocious 20s."

Bob Marsic, who played Simms, was 22.

Alison Arngrim and character Bob Marsic are joined by an unidentified character successful nan elopement segment from nan section of nan tv bid "Little House connected nan Prairie" titled "Here Come nan Brides," circa 1977. (NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images)

"It’s young girls — children — accosting a grown man who they have not been introduced to," said Arngrim astir really nan characters reacted to Simms’ appearance.

"That would not hap today, right?" Bob asked. "That casting a full-grown big to play aliases moreover buss — and it was an guiltless kiss, but it's a buss — a minor."

Filming was awkward from nan start, Arngrim recalled, noting that she hadn’t met her on-screen emotion liking earlier they started filming.

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Bob Marsic, who played Luke Simms, was 22. Alison Arngrim was 15. (NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

"I deliberation we were for illustration kissing connected nan first time aliases something," she said. "Maybe nan 2nd — time two? It was beautiful quick, it was like, 'Hi, present yourself, now you're successful love.'’"

Arngrim noted that if a akin segment were filmed today, location wouldn’t beryllium a important property spread betwixt nan young actors. An intimacy coordinator, which didn’t beryllium astatine nan time, would besides beryllium connected set.

The erstwhile kid prima described really astatine 1 point, Marsic brought his woman to nan group while nan section was filmed.

Alison Arngrim said she and her on-screen emotion liking kissed successful beforehand of cameras during nan first time of filming. (NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

"That was different of nan weird moments," said Arngrim connected nan podcast. "His woman shows up, and it was weird because it was for illustration … location was this vague point of her wanting to beryllium location for nan romanticist scenes."

"I was like, does this female deliberation that I americium a threat?" she chuckled. "Really? This 15-year-old pimply girl? No. No. I americium not a threat to your relationship. I americium not stealing your man."

Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim be The Hollywood Show held astatine Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport connected July 2, 2022, successful Burbank, California. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Back successful June 2024, Butler said to Fox News Digital astir really he had struggled pinch worry aft discovering that he would beryllium giving his co-star, 15-year-old Melissa Gilbert, her first buss – some on-screen and successful existent life.

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Butler was 23 erstwhile he was formed successful nan celebrated TV show, which aired from 1974 to 1983.

"You conscionable couldn’t do it today," nan actor, who played Almanzo Wilder successful "Little House," told Fox News Digital. "There would beryllium measurement excessively overmuch blowback. It’s singular that we didn’t get much blowback than we did. . . . But I deliberation it was handled truthful tastefully that group … forgot astir nan property difference."

"I deliberation nan assemblage had been watching Melissa for years and loved her incredibly," Butler shared. "They wanted to spot erstwhile she, truthful honestly and innocently, declared her emotion for this young man. She fell successful emotion from nan first clip she laid eyes connected him. The assemblage was prepared to spell correct on pinch that."

Melissa Gilbert arsenic Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder and Dean Butler arsenic Almanzo James Wilder successful "Little House connected nan Prairie." (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

According to Butler, nan characters from nan original book bid were expected to person a 10-year property difference. He noted that Gilbert had "complete trust" successful her TV dad, who cautiously supervised nan scene.

"That was a very powerful narration Melissa had successful her life, nan 1 she had pinch Michael Landon," said Butler. "When Michael said, ‘This is nan feline for you,’ she was prepared to suspend each of her anxieties and conscionable measurement into it. And Michael ne'er led anyone incorrect successful nan series. He really had it down. He knew what he was doing. He believed very powerfully successful his imaginative instincts. He trusted that it would work."

"I’m conscionable really grateful that I was nan feline that he felt he could spot pinch this," Butler added.

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Dean Butler told Fox News Digital that he has awesome respect for Melissa Gilbert. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Still, some Butler and Gilbert had to flooded their fears successful attempting to bring nan segment to life.

"I deliberation a batch of young actresses might’ve folded nether nan pressure," said Butler. "Melissa had nary experience. She’d ne'er been connected a date. Never kissed anyone. Never did thing for illustration that. That was still each up of her. So to inquire her to measurement into that erstwhile she had nary existent life experience? It does speak to Melissa’s gumption and her courage. She conscionable did it. She put each of her anxieties speech and conscionable stepped in. She knew what she had to do to beryllium nan Laura that she was expected to be."

The brace smooched in nan section titled "Sweet Sixteen." Butler said that astir 100 group surrounded them connected group to make judge nan changeable was perfect.

Michael Landon is seen present directing Dean Butler arsenic Melissa Gilbert looks on. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

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"My occupation was to make it arsenic easy for her arsenic imaginable by really being nan man I was raised to be," Butler shared. "There’s been nary casting pairing for illustration what they did pinch america since then. That casting could simply ne'er hap today. Certainly not connected a mainstream tv show."