Melissa Sue Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa Sue Anderson
Anderson as Mary Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, 1974
Born	(1962-09-26) September 26, 1962 (age 62) Berkeley, California, U.S.
Citizenship	American Canadian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1972–present
Known for	Little House on the Prairie Midnight Offerings Happy Birthday to Me Which Mother Is Mine?
Spouse(s)	Michael Sloan ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	2

Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American-Canadian actress. She started acting when she was a child, appearing in many commercials. Melissa is best known for playing Mary Ingalls in the TV show Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1983. For this role, she was nominated for a special award called the Primetime Emmy Award.

She also acted in movies like Midnight Offerings (1981) and the horror film Happy Birthday to Me (1981). In 1979, she starred in an ABC Afterschool Special episode called Which Mother Is Mine?.

Melissa became a Canadian citizen in 2007. In 2010, she wrote a book about her life called The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House.

Early Life and First Roles

Melissa Sue Anderson was born on September 26, 1962, in Berkeley, California. She has an older sister named Maureen. When Melissa was seven, her family moved to Los Angeles. Her parents divorced when she was thirteen.

As a young child, Melissa appeared in commercials for popular brands like Mattel and Sears. Her dance teacher encouraged her parents to find an agent for her. Soon, she was getting many TV roles.

Early TV Appearances

One of Melissa's first memorable roles was as Millicent in The Brady Bunch in 1973. She also appeared in an episode of the TV show Shaft that same year.

Starring in Little House on the Prairie

At age 11, Melissa got the part of Mary Ingalls in the TV series Little House on the Prairie. This show was very popular and based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

She played Mary for eight seasons, starting in 1974. She left after the seventh season but came back for three episodes in 1981.

Awards and Recognition

In 1978, Melissa was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in Little House on the Prairie. She also won an Emmy Award for her performance in the ABC Afterschool Special episode Which Mother Is Mine? in 1979.

In 1980, she won a 'TP de Oro' Award in Spain for 'Best Foreign Actress'. This is a very important award for television in Spain.

Life After Little House

After leaving Little House on the Prairie, Melissa continued to act in many TV shows. These included The Equalizer, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Murder, She Wrote.

She also worked as an associate producer for a TV movie called Where Pigeons Go to Die (1990). This was one of the last projects by Michael Landon, who played her father in Little House.

Later Career Highlights

In 1998, Melissa was honored at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma. She was added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. In 2014, she had a small role in the movie Veronica Mars.

Her Book: The Way I See It

In 2010, Melissa published her autobiography, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House. The book shares stories about her time as a child star on Little House on the Prairie.

It includes behind-the-scenes details and fun facts about the show, its actors, and the crew. The book also talks about her life before and after Little House.

Personal Life

Melissa Sue Anderson married Michael Sloan, a TV writer and producer, in 1990. They have two children, a daughter named Piper and a son named Griffin.

In 2002, her family moved to Montreal, Canada. On Canada Day in 2007, Melissa and her family officially became Canadian citizens.

Filmography

Television Roles

Film Roles

See also

In Spanish: Melissa Sue Anderson para niños