STUDIO CITY—The talented and beautiful actress, activist and author Alison Arngrim once played the mean and nasty little brat Nellie Oleson on NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie.” However, today she’s a busy woman who is far from spoiled, but is always charmed and surprised by the amount of attention she receives from her adoring fans, who can’t get enough of her. I caught up with Alison in between book signings and traveling across the nation and asked all of the questions you wanted answers to. Here’s Alison in her very own eloquent words.
Q. Alison, it’s amazing to watch you at book signings. Have you found them to be as exciting and maybe even cathartic to relive things from your past?
A. “Oh yes! I’ve been taking a video at each signing. At each bookstore, they tend to scream like maniacs as I enter, so I’ve been recording this and want to put together a montage of people screaming! The book signings are great fun. We haven’t gotten too ‘therapeutic’ since most of the questions are of a very upbeat variety, but I admit I do enjoy seeing the glee in the eyes of people who’ve just finished the book!”
Q. Did you and the other kids realize when you were doing “Little House on the Prairie” that it would be such an iconic classic for so long?
A. “Tommy, not a clue! None of the adults knew either! No one thought the show would run for more than a year, let alone become a worldwide phenomenon 30 years later! We are all as shocked as anyone. Seems the only person who knew we had a tiger by the tail, was Michael. And all the critics and all the executives at NBC thought he was crazy.”
Q. What do you enjoy the most, writing or acting? And if acting, on stage, on TV or films?
A. “Oh tough choice! I admit I really do love writing. I’ve always written, it’s that just until now, nobody was reading it! I think I like stage best ”“ both as a stand-up and in plays. It has the most immediate, intimate connection with the audience. It’s like a thrill ride. Both TV and films, involve a lot of sitting around. But still there is the advantage of being able to take more time ”“ create the role scene by scene, line by line, and even being allowed to do it over and over until it’s perfect. Doing live theatre is like firing off a huge shot gun blast of buckshot. Film and TV is more like being a precision sniper. Writing is a more solitary exercise. Sort of like being a mad bomber!”
Q. You are so gracious to your fans when they meet you in person. They all rave about it. Have you always been so comfortable with stardom?
A. “Well I had the peculiar advantage of being raised in a show biz family. Everyone in my family and all their friends were famous, so the concept of doing interviews, talking to fans and signing autographs was not foreign to me. I was even interviewed by magazines as a child, long before I was famous myself, so I had practice. When I was little, I even used to practice signing my autograph, so I would be ready when the time came. I watched how some celebrities treated their fans ”“ some well, some badly. I always swore I would be one of the ”˜celebrities you enjoy meeting.’ Michael Landon was the greatest example of this. He knew the fans were the whole point.”
Q. What upcoming projects do you have planned for the rest of the year, Alison?
A. “Currently I’m on ”˜the book tour with no end.’ I have a long series of book signings and comedy appearances all over the country, stretching out through December. I’m still kept very busy as the national spokesperson for the National Association to PROTECT Children or PROTECT.org. We’ve really gotten a foothold in Washington D.C. now, so we can expect big doings in the coming year. I am told there’s going to be a sequel to ”˜Make the Yuletide Gay’ — the absolutely darling independent film I made, so I’m looking forward to filming that. There’s also a Facebook page where you can vote to get me on ”˜Dancing With the Stars’, can you imagine?”
Yes, we can imagine, and what a great choice she would be. Here’s your chance to cast your vote of support. Facebook | Alison Arngrim (aka Nellie Oleson) for Dancing With the Stars Season 11
DISCLAIMER: This article was a contribution made by an outside agency or person. The content has not been verified by Canyon News. Please exercise your due diligence prior to relying on this article for factual information. Canyon News is not responsible for the views, words, and opinions of contributors.
