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Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson on the NBC series, makes a guest appearance in season 1
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Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim have shown support for Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie adaptation
Arngrim makes a cameo as a mysterious character in season 1 while Gilbert visited the set during filming
Season 2 will introduce a new Nellie Oleson and explore Walnut Grove with a fresh take on the story
Original Little House stars Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim are showing Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie some love.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Crosby Fitzgerald, who plays Caroline Ingalls in the streamer’s adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical books, shared how grateful she is to have the support of two of the NBC series’ biggest stars. Gilbert, who played Laura throughout all nine seasons of the ‘70s show, paid a visit to the set during filming for season 1, while Arngrim, who played Laura’s nemesis Nellie Oleson, makes a nearly unrecognizable cameo in the show’s second episode.
Fitzgerald, 36, reveals she got to meet Gilbert, 62, during her visit. “I got to meet her. She’s so sweet, so supportive and excited and it’s just so great when her and Alison Arngrim are giving the stamp of approval and it means a lot to us and it was very kind,” she shares.
The Palm Royale alum’s young costar, Alice Halsey, who plays the new Laura, also told PEOPLE how excited she was to meet Gilbert.
“Melissa Gilbert came to set one day and we got to meet her and she’s so nice,” she says. “I ran off and I gave her a big hug.”
Halsey continues, “We didn’t even know each other. I just saw her and I ran to her. I think she’s a really nice person. She was just so supportive. So supportive. It just made me feel so welcomed into the Little House world.”
Meanwhile, Arngrim, 64, actually showed up on-screen as Ida, a terrifying woman who Laura and Mary (Skywalker Hughes) encounter in the woods. The Little House alum told Tudum that she was asked to make a guest appearance just two weeks before her scene was set to be filmed.
“I got a phone call: ‘What are you doing in a week and a half? Could you come to Winnipeg? There’s this character, we want it to be you,’ ” she told the outlet.
“Ida is basically a crazy lady in the woods. Sort of a forest drifter with drifter friends,” Arngrim explained. “They’re hanging out in the woods, having their little dinner, a little campfire in the forest, and the two poor unsuspecting Ingalls girls wander in, and we’re like, ‘Hi, come hang out with us.’ I thought, ‘Oh, that’s creepy as all get‑out. That sounds right up my alley. I’ll be right over!’ ”
Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie will introduce its Nellie in season 2. Willa Dunn, who previously appeared as a young Meryl Streep on Only Murders in the Building, has been cast in the iconic role. When asked if she had any words of advice for the new Nellie, Arngrim told Tudum, “Take it and run with it,” she said. “Enjoy yourself. As far as I know, it’s the most fun part to play ever. There’s enormous fun to be had.”
“If you do this correctly, there will be people who will hate you — and think the show is real,” Arngrim continued. “It’s like playing Hannibal Lecter. If you do it right, people will flip out. You need to take that in stride. You need a strong sense of self and a dark sense of humor. Even if the fans don’t separate fantasy and reality, you have to.”
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Season 2 of Netflix’s Little House is heading to Walnut Grove, which was the primary setting for the NBC series. However, Fitzgerald isn’t worried about comparisons between the two series, she’s just excited for fans to see the new “vibe.”
“I’m really glad we’re getting started before season 1 even comes out because we’re all just back in Winnipeg, being a family, shooting without the outside world’s opinion even on season 1 yet,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m very excited for the Walnut Grove era and I think everyone’s going to like it a lot. It’s definitely a fresh vibe from season 1. They’re in a whole new mindset, a whole new place.”
She laughs, “Listen, what I can say is there’s definitely a cow and that really excites me in terms of going to work every day and getting to be around a cow.”
Little House on the Prairie season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
Read the original article on People
