American actress, television director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. From 1974 to 1983, she starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls (played by Michael Landon) on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. During the run of Little House, Gilbert appeared in several television films, including The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker. For her contribution to the television industry, Gilbert received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6429 Hollywood Blvd in 1985. Her then-fiancé, Rob Lowe, was present with her when her star was unveiled during the ceremony.
As an adult, she continued her career mainly in television films. Gilbert has also continued with guest starring roles on television and has done voice work for animation such as Batman: The Animated Series as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. From 2009 to 2010, Gilbert appeared as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls in the touring production of Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. In 2012, she was a contestant on season fourteen of the popular reality dance competition show Dancing with the Stars on ABC.
Gilbert served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005. In 2009, her autobiography Prairie Tale: A Memoir, was released. In 2014, she wrote a short story for children, called “Daisy and Josephine” as well as My Prairie Cookbook: Memories and Frontier Food from My Little House to Yours.
In 2016, Gilbert ran for U.S. Congress as a Democrat in Michigan’s 8th congressional district and she won the Democratic primary. She later dropped out because of health issues stemming from a 2012 accident.
Gilbert was born to a newly engaged couple, Kathy Wood and David Darlington, and placed for adoption immediately after birth. She was adopted one day later by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane, the daughter of The Honeymooners creator Harry Crane. They later adopted a son, Jonathan, who co-starred on Little House on the Prairie. Gilbert’s parents divorced when she was 8 years old. Her mother then married attorney Harold Abeles, and together they had biological daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles (the actress known professionally as Sara Gilbert) on 29 January 1975.
On 13 February 1976, Paul Gilbert died. Although 11-year-old Melissa was told that he had suffered a stroke, she found out years later that he had been a VA patient who dealt with constant pain and that he had taken his own life. The marriage of Barbara and Harold Abeles later ended in divorce. According to her biography, Gilbert was raised in her adoptive mother’s Jewish religion, but did not have any formal religious education or conversion ceremony.
After her relationship with Rob Lowe ended, Gilbert left for New York City and was set up with actor Bo Brinkman, a cousin of actors Randy Quaid and Dennis Quaid. The couple married on 22 February 1988, seven weeks after her split from Lowe. Their son was born on 1 May 1989. The couple divorced in 1992.
Weeks after Gilbert’s divorce filing, actor Bruce Boxleitner’s former wife set him up with Gilbert. Gilbert had met Boxleitner as a teenager when they both were on Battle of the Network Stars; he was her teenage crush. After reconnecting, they dated on and off for over a year. They were engaged twice and both engagements were ended by Boxleitner. After reuniting for a third time, they married on 1 January 1995 in her mother’s living room. Gilbert gave birth to their son on 6 October 1995. Gilbert was stepmother to Boxleitner’s two sons. On 1 March 2011, Gilbert announced that she and Boxleitner had separated. On 22 August 2011 Gilbert filed for divorce from Boxleitner.
In January 2013, Gilbert’s representative confirmed her engagement to actor Timothy Busfield. They married on 24 April 2013.
Link to Wikipedia biography