small house on the meadow Actress Melissa Gilbert says she is “in pain” over her “Pa” Michael Landon, 31 years after his death. More than just a star, he was her mentor, father figure, boyfriend, and boss. Read on to find out more about what broke up their relationship and what she has said about life without him since his death in 1991.
Michael Landon has been Melissa Gilbert’s mentor since her audition for Little House on the Prairie
When Gilbert tried her part in small house on the meadowShe met Blandon, who later had a lifelong influence on her. She was chosen to play the role of Laura Ingalls, his on-screen daughter, and the central character of the show.
Landon and Gilbert formed a bond after that, and when her father died, he stepped in as the father figure. She spent time with him, his family, including his first wife, and her mother.
Things changed when Landon had a stand-up on the show and later married her. Gilbert stopped talking to him because she also felt betrayed.
But they reconnected at his daughter’s wedding shortly before Landon died of pancreatic cancer. And 31 years later, Gilbert said she still feels “deeply saddened and lost today.”
Melissa Gilbert “in pain for Michael Landon” on the 31st anniversary of his death
In honor of Landon, Gilbert wrote a blog on the 31st anniversary of his death, July 1, 2022. Notably, she once told her it “felt like death” to her, too.
I wrote for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
“Today I miss my mentor, my acting partner, my favorite director, my dad character, my friend, and my boss,” she said.
She added, “Today I miss Pa…Michael Landon. So much so that I can feel her in my chest, in my heart. I’m in pain for him.”
According to Gilbert, Landon is not only missed because of the place he held in her life. She said his voice would have been comforting during these tough times.
She described him as an “honest, principled man who believes first and foremost in the power of love, tolerance, compassion and understanding.”
She said: “He was a fierce fighter for human rights, and he was better than anyone else at telling those stories.
Michael Landon’s death was “cruel and brutal,” according to Melissa Gilbert
Gilbert spent time honoring his life, but also shared her anger over his death, which she once advised to take advantage of. She said it was “cruel and brutal” and “would not have happened if it weren’t for the horrific and insidious disease of pancreatic cancer.”
“This scourge that is pancreatic cancer does not discriminate. It does not care who you are, where you live, what you do for a living, how old you are, and what your religion, nationality, color or gender are,” she shared in the blog post.
She declared, “He is a brutal and vicious murderer who has robbed me of my beloved.”
Gilbert concluded her letter by asking readers to consider making a donation to PanCAN in honor of Landon. “You can help end this disease and its horrific, indiscriminate destruction today,” she wrote.
RELATED: Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon Had Their Last Helpful Visit Before He Died: What They Said To Each Other
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