‘Little House on the Prairie’ Alum Alison Arngrim Reveals If She Would Return for the Remake: ‘Call Me’

Alison Arngrim likes to tell the story about how she was signing autographs at the Hollywood Parade when a Little House on the Prairie fan came up and threw a soda in her face. “I kind of took it as a weird compliment,” Alison, who played Little House’s mean girl Nellie Oleson during the beloved series’ 1974 to 1982 run, exclusively tells Closer. “I’ve had people just go off about how much they hated me and how they wanted to punch me in the face.”

Alison, 63, has long embraced her Little House infamy by creating a one-woman stand-up comedy act about playing Nellie and writing a New York Times best-selling memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. The actress will also be among the original cast members who will be meeting fans and sharing memories this June at a LHOTP reunion in California. “We’re going back to a location where we shot exteriors,” she explains, noting that the episode “where Laura Ingalls runs away and climbs a mountain” was filmed there.

What has it been like reuniting with other LHOTP alum? Are you closer now?

“Much closer, because now we’re all grown up. We were all so young and worried about teenage nonsense back then. Now, nobody feels threatened or insecure because there’s no competition. It’s all about us and the fans. We’re much closer now because there’s nothing to fight about.”

Was it hard to adjust to the fame that Little House brought you?

“It was weird. I had a girl yell at me literally after the very first episode aired. Nobody thought Little House was going to be a hit. And of course, it ran for years, and it’s still in reruns. But I feel so lucky that it was a good show. When I look back at it, I don’t have to be embarrassed. It was well-written, well- directed and I had an awesome character. I got to be the villain.”

Villainy made your career!

“Of course, I wanted to be the hot sex symbol in my 20s — I grew up watching Charlie’s Angels — but it just didn’t work that way. Now I look back and know this is better. If you’re heavily identified with your looks and you get old, what do you do? That can be very hard. I can still be funny and evil at 63, so it’s really worked out in my favor.”

Nellie and Laura Ingalls hated each other on the show, but you and Melissa Gilbert are close friends. Do you still talk often?

“We do. We’re always talking and texting. She’s in New York, but she’s come on the podcast. She’s just a riot. She’s married to Timothy Busfield and those two are perfect together. It hasn’t changed when we talk. I mean, we still have weird inside jokes, crack up and make fun of people. It’s like it has not changed at all.”

What was series creator Michael Landon like to work with?

“He was really interesting. He was writing the show, directing the show, starring in the show and producing the show. He would be a showrunner by today’s standards. He was like this mad scientist making television, but he was so good with us kids. He was strict. Your grades had to be above a certain level and you had to have your three-hours of school every day. There was no cheating. He would do things to crack us up, but he also treated us like adult actors. We were expected to show up, suit up, do our job and deliver an adult-level performance. But we were treated with respect. Sometimes kids on shows aren’t taken seriously.”

Sounds like a good set to grow up on.

“As I always say, you don’t see us on TMZ with no pants. You don’t see the disasters that so many kid actors had because we were just treated and raised in a very different way than a lot of the other shows. And that all came from Michael Landon.”

What’s your life like today?

“Well, when I’m ever home, my husband is like, ‘Oh, are you home for more than three days? How nice of you to visit!’ All of March, I was in France. I have a comedy review in French. In April, [it was the] Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri. Then I have shows in New York, Nashville, St. Louis, Pasadena, Chicago, San Diego … I might have August off unless I go to Ireland.”

Whew! What do you do for fun when you’re not traveling?

“I’m totally into gardening and cooking. I usually grow tomatoes, jalapeños and basil. I’m working on a cookbook. I’m so excited about it, but I haven’t finished it. I love to read. I have 8 million books on my Kindle.”

How do you keep your energy up?

“I do get tired. I’ve gotten very good at sleeping on planes. I can sleep on planes, trains, standing up against a wall — I mean, literally. So, I can sleep anywhere. I eat insanely healthy. I take my vitamins. With this schedule, I automatically get exercise because it cannot be helped.”

A reboot of Little House has been announced. What do you think about it?

“It is not a reboot. It will not be exactly like our show in the ’70s. And it shouldn’t be. That would be terrible! I think it is going to be very much like the books. Very historical. If this was a Star Wars thing, I’d call it a prequel. It’s going to go all the way back to when Laura was very young. I think that could be really good.”

Would you do a cameo, if asked?

“Of course! I’ve always said, ‘I’m old enough to be Mrs. Oleson now, so call me.’ The show has to obviously become its own thing, get its own footing with its own people. They have to find people who are good and will have the same kind of incredible chemistry together that we had.”

Do you have any advice for the next person to play Nellie Oleson?

“Enjoy yourself because it is fun. Don’t hold back. Some people, when they play a character that’s annoying or objectionable, they want to be liked. They’re like, ‘But I have to be likable.’ No, no, you don’t. The other person is the hero in this movie. They can be likable. You don’t need to be likable. You can be dreadful. Go for it.”