Melissa Gilbert is remembering her television father, Michael Landon, on what would have been his 90th birthday.
On Saturday, October 31, the 62-year-old actress shared an emotional tribute on social media to the late actor, who portrayed her on-screen father in Little House on the Prairie beginning in 1974.
“Ninety years. I wonder what you would think of that,” she wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption accompanying a collection of photographs. The images showed the two together at different stages of their lives, from Gilbert’s childhood to her young adulthood.
“I can almost hear your laugh, see that enchanting twinkle in your eyes, and feel your arms around me. I was just a little girl when you took my hand and changed my life forever,” Gilbert continued.
Landon died from pancreatic cancer on July 1, 1991, at the age of 54. He played Charles “Pa” Ingalls during the first eight seasons of Little House on the Prairie. He also served as an executive producer, writer, and director on the series.
“You taught me so much more than how to be a professional. You taught me to be brave, to trust myself, to find humor in the hardest moments, and to lead with my heart,” Gilbert added.
“So much time has passed. The little girl with the braids has silver in her hair now. She’s a wife, mother and grandmother, but she still lives inside me, and she still misses you so much,” she wrote.
Gilbert has two sons from previous marriages: Dakota Brinkman, 37, and Michael Boxleitner, 31. She married actor Timothy Busfield in 2013 and also became a stepmother to his three children.
Busfield, 69, faced child sexual abuse allegations in early 2026. However, on October 16, New Mexico District Court Judge Joseph Montaño granted the West Wing actor’s motion to quash the indictment, citing procedural violations during the grand jury proceedings, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Melissa Gilbert Reflects on Her Special Bond With Michael Landon
Looking back on her years working alongside Landon, Gilbert said she wished they could spend time together again.
She wanted to “sit together and reminisce about all the fun we had and the work we did,” as well as “say all the things we never got the chance to say.”
Although Landon was not her biological father, Gilbert explained that he played an important role in her upbringing.
“So much of who I am began with you,” she wrote.
On what would have been his 90th birthday, Gilbert said her thoughts were focused less on the years since his death and more on the lasting influence he continued to have.
She also reflected on the work he created and the family he built.
“The legacy of your wonderful work, but more importantly, the legacy of the beautiful family you created. Oh Mike, you would be so proud of all of them,” she wrote.
She ended the heartfelt message with the nickname Landon had given her: “Half-Pint.”
How Michael Landon Became a Father Figure to Gilbert
Gilbert began playing Landon’s daughter, Laura Ingalls, when she was just nine years old.
She previously told PEOPLE that her biological father died when she was 11. By that time, she had already spent two years working alongside Landon, who gradually became a father figure in her life.
“And I had been working with Michael for two years at that point, and he really sort of stepped in and kind of watched over me in a much more paternal way,” she said in March 2024.
Their connection continued to mean a great deal to Gilbert long after the series ended.
Little House on the Prairie aired more than 200 episodes between 1974 and 1983, becoming a lasting part of television history.
Gilbert has also spoken about Landon’s influence on the show’s success and the people who continue to appreciate it.
“It blows my mind that all of this is because of him. These people are here because he wrote this show and directed it and produced it, and I know that he would be incredibly proud if he could see this,” she said.
“This is his legacy. A hundred percent.”
