While fighting to change a California law that allowed incest offenders to leave jail early, Arngrim decided to go public with her own childhood sexual abuse in a 2004 interview with Larry King. She also got involved with the National Association to Protect Children. Through AIDS Project, she met her husband Robert Paul Schoonover, who plays in the Southern California band Catahoula, and they've been married 17 years. Tracy died in 1986, but Arngrim continued to be an activist. "Back then, people were even terrifed to have a presentation about the disease, but they'd say, 'Oh, it's the lady from "Little House."' I got into places and talked about HIV and AIDS where they would never have someone speak," Arngrim said. She began volunteering for AIDS Project Los Angeles and speaking about the disease. When Tracy contracted AIDS and went public with his diagnosis in the mid-1980s, Arngrim stood by him. "Melissa Sue just looked at us and shook her head."Īrngrim's other best friend on the set was Steve Tracy, who played her on-screen husband, Percival Dalton, toward the end of the series. "Melissa and I were wild and fun loving," Arngrim said.
![little house on the prairie complete cast little house on the prairie complete cast](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/D03A6T/melissa-gilbert-with-the-cast-of-little-house-on-the-prairiesupplied-D03A6T.jpg)
Melissa Sue Anderson, however, who played Gilbert's on-screen sister Mary, wanted nothing to do with Gilbert and Arngrim. "I had an intense, wonderful friendship with Melissa, who became a sister to me," Arngrim said.
![little house on the prairie complete cast little house on the prairie complete cast](http://www.liwfrontiergirl.com/lhptv.jpg)
Nellie and her nemesis Laura Wilder may have scrapped on screen, but off camera Arngrim was best friends with Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura. He had this wild sense of humor on set that really shocked people."įor one thing, he had an "unsaintly" habit of showing up without underwear on the set. "He lived in Bel Air and Malibu, attended the Playboy Jazz Festival, drove a Ferrari, smoked and drank. "He was divorced and married several times," Arngrim said. We were held to a higher standard."Īt the same time, Landon was nothing like the prairie dad he played. "We said 'yes, sir' and 'yes, ma'am.' We had to know our lines. "He saw to it that the rules were obeyed," Arngrim said. Michael Landon, who played Charles "Pa" Wilder and produced the series, was very much the set's father figure. "Instead of her ruining my life, she gave me my life."Ĭoming from a show business family - her father, Thor Arngrim, managed Liberace and her mother, Norma Macmillan, provided the voice for Casper the Friendly Ghost and Gumby - Arngrim got to experience "normal family life" on the "Little House" set. So to have an outlet where one could express this anger outwardly and openly was a fantastic opportunity."Īrngrim is grateful for Nellie. "Usually victims turn the pain and rage on themselves. "When you're sexually abused you have a lot of anger," she said.
![little house on the prairie complete cast little house on the prairie complete cast](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/39900000/Little-house-on-the-prairie-cast-little-house-on-the-prairie-39919551-225-300.jpg)
But thanks to Nellie, Arngrim found an outlet for the rage that had been building since her abuse - a secret she kept from her parents until her twenties.