This sensitive, delicately pretty leading actor, mostly on TV, came to fame as a girl playing Laura Ingalls on the NBC period drama series, "Little House on the Prairie" (1974-82), based on the stories by the adult Ingalls. Gilbert has made few feature film appearances, but kept busy on the small screen, for a time recreating famous suffering teenager film roles in TV-movies like "The Miracle Worker" (1979), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1980) and "Splendor in the Grass" (1981). She remained very prolific and gradually managed the transition to adult roles in TV-movies including "Choices" (1986), "Forbidden Nights" (1990) and "A Family of Strangers" (1993). Gilbert also occasionally tried TV series again, but "Little House: A New Beginning" (1982-83), "Stand By Your Man" (1992) and "Sweet Justice" (1994) didn't catch on. In 1995, she married actor Bruce Boxleitner. Gilbert continued to star in a regular slate of TV movies of varying distinction throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, but in those years was perhaps best known for a behind-the-scenes roll, elected in 2001 as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Gilbert was a highly visible and occasionally controversial leader for the thespian's union, presiding over several bitterly fought negotiations than frequently prompted divisions and personal animosity within SAG's ranks--Nevertheless, she was eleceted to a second term in a viciously contended election in 2003. By 2005, however, she had her fill of fighting political battles and chose not to run for a third term, claiming that she felt she could no longer bear the tensions within the union and that the damaged relations between herself and fellow officials could never be healed.
Profession(s):
Actor, director
Sometimes Credited As:
Melissa E Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert-Brinkman
Family
brother:Jonathan Gilbert (born in 1967; appeared on "Little House on the Prairie")
father:Paul Gilbert (adoptive father; deceased)
grandfather:Harry Crane (died of cancer on September 13, 1999 at age 85)
grandmother:Julia Crane (former Miss Brooklyn)
half-sister:Sara Gilbert (born in 1975; co-starred in the series "Roseanne")
husband:Bo Brinkman (married February 21, 1988; divorced)
husband:Bruce Boxleitner (married January 1, 1995; starred in the cyber-film "Tron" (1982))
mother:Barbara Crane Cowan (adoptive mother)
son:Dakota Paul Brinkman (born on May 1, 1989; at age nine, went to live with father in Texas)
son:Michael Garrett Boxleitner (born on October 6, 1995; born 2 1/2 months prematurely; named for actor Michael Landon)
step-father:Warren Cowan
step-son:Lee Davis Boxleitner (born in 1985)
step-son:Sam Boxleitner (born in 1980)
Companion(s)
Dylan McDermott
, Companion
, ```..dated briefly
Rob Lowe
, Companion
, ```..together c. 1982 to 1987; engaged
Tom Cruise
, Companion
, ```..dated in 1982
Theatre World Award 1988
2001 Appeared as the victim of a stalker in "Sanctuary" (CBS)
2000 Cast in title role of a woman with psychic abilities in CBS' "A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle"
1999 Portrayed a widow in the CBS TV-movie "The Soul Collector"
1997 Headlined the TV-movie, "Seduction in a Small Town" (ABC)
1996 Directed sister Sara in "Me and My Hormones", an "ABC Afterschool Special"
1995 Had title role in the NBC miniseries "Danielle Steel's 'Zoya'"; Boxleitner co-starred
1993 Co-starred with husband Bruce Boxleitner in the NBC movie "House of Secrets", a loose remake of "Diabolique"
1992 Debut as regular in comedy series, "Stand By Your Man" (Fox)
1985 Feature acting debut "Sylvester"
1979 Feature debut, provided voice for animated film "Nutcracker Fantasy"
1979 Producing debut TV-movie, "The Miracle Worker"
1977 TV-movie debut, "Christmas in Caulfield, USA"
1974 - 1982 Played Laura Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie" (NBC)
