Melissa Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American
actress, writer
, and producer
, primarily in movies and television
. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls
's (played by Michael Landon
) second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder
, on the drama
tic television series Little House on the Prairie
(1974–1984). As an adult, she has a very long list of acting, voicework, writing, producing, and directing credits. Melissa also served two terms as President of the Screen Actors Guild
. On June 9, 2009, her autobiography Prairie Tale: A Memoir was released.
, Gilbert was adopted one day later by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert
(born Ed MacMahon, he changed his name to Paul Gilbert to get a Screen Actors Guild card) and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane, the daughter of The Honeymooners
creator Harry Crane. The couple later adopted a son, Jonathan Gilbert
, who co-starred with Melissa as Willie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie
. When Melissa was 8, her parents divorced. Barbara then married Harold Abeles, and together they had biological daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles (the actress known professionally as Sara Gilbert
), born on January 29, 1975. On February 12, 1975, Paul Gilbert suffered a stroke and died at the age of 56. Barbara and Harold Abeles' marriage later ended in divorce.
With Hollywood connections in her family background and a natural ability for entertaining at a very young age, Gilbert had already done dozens of commercials, including one for Alpo
dog food with Lorne Greene
(Michael Landon's television father on Bonanza
). She tried out for the role of Laura Ingalls
, Charles Ingalls
' middle daughter, on NBC's 2-hour pilot of the book Little House on the Prairie
. Growing up she was unfamiliar with Landon, having never met him or watched Bonanza. She attended school with his daughter, Leslie Landon
who guested on Little House as a teen and then played school teacher Etta Plum during the last season. It was Leslie who informed her that she had won the role of Laura, beating out over 500 child actresses for this part. The pilot was shot in 1973 and was a ratings success. Almost a year later Gilbert began filming the series. Gilbert became extremely close to the Landon family after her adoptive father died. But a rift developed between Michael Landon and Gilbert after the revelation of Landon's affair with Little House young makeup artist, Cindy Clerico.
Gilbert had no contact with Landon after Little House ended during the 1983/1984 season. Seven years later, on May 9, 1991, when she saw a gaunt-looking Landon on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
discussing his pancreatic cancer
, she was compelled to finally telephone him. She visited Landon at his Malibu home where he was, by then, bedridden, and they spent the afternoon together. Landon died one week later. When Gilbert gave birth to her son with second husband Bruce Boxleitner
on October 6, 1995, they named him Michael, in honor of Landon.
in the biopic Choices of the Heart
(1983), and as Anna Sheridan in three episodes of Babylon 5
with husband Bruce Boxleitner
in 1996. She is known as "The Queen of the television movies and mini-series" having starred in over 45 of them since the late 1970s. During the three months of filming for the television mini-series, Zoya, in St. Petersburg, London, Paris, Montreal, and New York, she was pregnant with her second child.
In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
.
In 2006, Gilbert appeared as Shari Noble, a patient looking to reconstruct her nipples after committing zoophilia
with her dog in a season 4 episode of Nip/Tuck
.
Gilbert regularly keeps in contact with her friend Alison Arngrim
, who played her nemesis Nellie Oleson
on Little House on the Prairie. Although their respective characters were enemies for years, in real life, they are close friends.
In 2008 and through 2009, Gilbert played Caroline "Ma" Ingalls
in the musical adaptation of Little House on the Prairie
. This world premiere production at the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis was directed by Francesca Zambello
and also starred Kara Lindsay as Laura. The show ran through October 19 and was on a US National tour for 2009–10. The tour ended in June 2010 at Starlight Theatre
in Kansas City, Missouri
.
For her contribution to the television industry, Gilbert has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6429 Hollywood Blvd in 1985. Her then fiance, Rob Lowe
, was present with her when her star was unveiled during the ceremony. She is one of the youngest actresses to have been honored with a star.
in which she ultimately beat her opponent, Rhoda
actress Valerie Harper
, 21,351 votes to 12,613 votes after a second vote was taken. In 2003, she was re-elected, defeating Kent McCord
with 50% of the vote to his 42%.
In July 2005, she announced that she would not seek a third term and she was succeeded by Alan Rosenberg
, who assumed the Guild presidency on September 25.
, also 17. They had met briefly when they were about 14. In 1981, Melissa, in her convertible, saw Lowe stopped next to her at a red light. Gilbert dated Lowe on-and-off for six years. During this time, both had affairs with other famous people. Melissa dated Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Scott Baio, and Billy Idol. After Lowe's failed romance with Princess Stéphanie
, he suddenly proposed to Gilbert. While making wedding plans, Gilbert found out she was pregnant. Upon being informed of the pregnancy, Lowe ended their relationship. Gilbert miscarried days later.
Heart-broken, Gilbert left for New York City to star in the play A Shayna Maidel. Gilbert was set up with actor Bo Brinkman, a cousin of actors Randy Quaid
and Dennis Quaid
. The couple married on February 22, 1988, only seven weeks after she ended her relationship with Rob Lowe. Gilbert became pregnant months later. US Magazine featured a very pregnant Gilbert wrapped in a sheer sheet and named her one of "America's Ten Most Beautiful Women" in 1988. On May 1, 1989, she gave birth to Dakota Paul Brinkman. After Dakota's birth, the couple began to have marital problems and divorced in 1992.
Only weeks after Gilbert's divorce filing, Bruce Boxleitner
's ex-wife (Kathryn Holcomb) set Bruce up with Gilbert. Holcomb by then was married to actor Ian Ogilvy
. Gilbert had met Boxleitner as a teenager when they both were on Battle of the Network Stars
when Gilbert introduced herself, as she had a pin-up of him in her locker. But Boxleitner ignored her, as she was a teen and he was many years older than she was. After re-connecting, the couple started dating on-and-off for over a year. They were engaged twice and Boxleitner broke up with her each time. After re-uniting for a third time, they finally married on January 1, 1995 in her mother's living room. Gilbert quickly became pregnant, but went into premature labor more than two months before her due date. She gave birth to a son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner, named in honor of Michael Landon, on October 6, 1995. His middle name is in honor of Garret Peckinpah, her friend Sandy Peckinpah's son, who had died suddenly of meningitis at age 16.
Gilbert is also stepmother to Boxleitner's two sons with Holcomb, Sam (b. 1980) and Lee (b. 1985).
She has battled alcoholism
and drug abuse
, which she wrote about in her 2009 autobiography.
On July 22, 2010, Gilbert underwent surgery to replace a disc as well as fuse a vertebra in her lower spine. The surgery was described as a complete success. It was discovered during a doctor's visit that she had been playing the role of Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in the touring musical Little House on the Prairie with a broken back for months.
On March 1, 2011, Gilbert announced that she and Boxleitner had separated. On August 22, 2011, Gilbert filed for divorce from Boxleitner.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, primarily in movies and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls
Charles Ingalls
Charles Phillip Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House on the Prairie series of books...
's (played by Michael Landon
Michael Landon
Michael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...
) second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, on the drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
tic television series Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
(1974–1984). As an adult, she has a very long list of acting, voicework, writing, producing, and directing credits. Melissa also served two terms as President of the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
. On June 9, 2009, her autobiography Prairie Tale: A Memoir was released.
Family and early career
Born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Gilbert was adopted one day later by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert (actor)
Paul Gilbert was an American film and television actor. Born in New York City as Ed MacMahon, Gilbert played various roles and appeared as himself from The Spike Jones Show in 1954 through Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1973...
(born Ed MacMahon, he changed his name to Paul Gilbert to get a Screen Actors Guild card) and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane, the daughter of The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
creator Harry Crane. The couple later adopted a son, Jonathan Gilbert
Jonathan Gilbert
Jonathan J. Gilbert is an American former film and television actor.-Life and career:Gilbert is best known for his performance as Willie Oleson on the NBC TV series, Little House on the Prairie, from 1974 to 1983...
, who co-starred with Melissa as Willie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
. When Melissa was 8, her parents divorced. Barbara then married Harold Abeles, and together they had biological daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles (the actress known professionally as Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner from 1988–1997 in the U.S. sitcom Roseanne.-Early life:Gilbert was born Sara Rebecca Abeles in Santa Monica, California. Her parents are Barbara Crane and Harold Abeles. Her two older siblings, Melissa Gilbert and...
), born on January 29, 1975. On February 12, 1975, Paul Gilbert suffered a stroke and died at the age of 56. Barbara and Harold Abeles' marriage later ended in divorce.
With Hollywood connections in her family background and a natural ability for entertaining at a very young age, Gilbert had already done dozens of commercials, including one for Alpo
Alpo (pet food)
Alpo is an American brand of dog food marketed and manufactured by the Nestlé Purina Petcare subsidiary of Nestlé. The brand is offered as a canned or packaged soft food, as well as in dry kibbles.-History:...
dog food with Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
(Michael Landon's television father on Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
). She tried out for the role of Laura Ingalls
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, Charles Ingalls
Charles Ingalls
Charles Phillip Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House on the Prairie series of books...
' middle daughter, on NBC's 2-hour pilot of the book Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
Little House is a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that was published originally between 1932 and 1943, with four additional books published posthumously, in 1962, 1971, 1974 and 2006.-History:...
. Growing up she was unfamiliar with Landon, having never met him or watched Bonanza. She attended school with his daughter, Leslie Landon
Leslie Landon
Leslie Landon Matthews is an American actress, best known from the role of Etta Plum on Little House on the Prairie TV series. Her father was Michael Landon and mother is Marjorie Lynn Noe .-Career:Leslie is notable for her role as Etta Plum on Little House on the Prairie which she played from...
who guested on Little House as a teen and then played school teacher Etta Plum during the last season. It was Leslie who informed her that she had won the role of Laura, beating out over 500 child actresses for this part. The pilot was shot in 1973 and was a ratings success. Almost a year later Gilbert began filming the series. Gilbert became extremely close to the Landon family after her adoptive father died. But a rift developed between Michael Landon and Gilbert after the revelation of Landon's affair with Little House young makeup artist, Cindy Clerico.
Gilbert had no contact with Landon after Little House ended during the 1983/1984 season. Seven years later, on May 9, 1991, when she saw a gaunt-looking Landon on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
discussing his pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
, she was compelled to finally telephone him. She visited Landon at his Malibu home where he was, by then, bedridden, and they spent the afternoon together. Landon died one week later. When Gilbert gave birth to her son with second husband Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
on October 6, 1995, they named him Michael, in honor of Landon.
Career after Little House
Gilbert has continued to work regularly, mainly in television. She starred as Jean DonovanJean Donovan
Jean Donovan was an American lay missionary who was murdered with three nuns in El Salvador by a military death squad while volunteering to do charity work during the civil war there.-Life:...
in the biopic Choices of the Heart
Choices of the Heart
Choices of the Heart is an award-winning television movie based on the lives of Jean Donovan, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and the three other churchwomen who were killed in El Salvador during their Civil War.-Plot:The movie is based on actual events...
(1983), and as Anna Sheridan in three episodes of Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
with husband Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
in 1996. She is known as "The Queen of the television movies and mini-series" having starred in over 45 of them since the late 1970s. During the three months of filming for the television mini-series, Zoya, in St. Petersburg, London, Paris, Montreal, and New York, she was pregnant with her second child.
In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo, photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies...
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
.
In 2006, Gilbert appeared as Shari Noble, a patient looking to reconstruct her nipples after committing zoophilia
Zoophilia
Zoophilia, from the Greek ζῷον and φιλία is the practice of sex between humans and non-human animals , or a preference or fixation on such practice...
with her dog in a season 4 episode of Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
.
Gilbert regularly keeps in contact with her friend Alison Arngrim
Alison Arngrim
Alison Margaret Arngrim is an American actress, stand-up comedian and author.Arngrim's father, Thor Arngrim, was a well-known Hollywood manager...
, who played her nemesis Nellie Oleson
Nellie Oleson
Nellie Oleson is a fictional character that appeared in the children's books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her character was later adapted for the NBC television show, Little House on the Prairie. She also stars in the book Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls, by Heather Williams.Nellie was a...
on Little House on the Prairie. Although their respective characters were enemies for years, in real life, they are close friends.
In 2008 and through 2009, Gilbert played Caroline "Ma" Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls, born Caroline Lake Quiner was the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House books.-Biography:...
in the musical adaptation of Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (musical)
Little House on the Prairie is a book musical adapted from the children's books, Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The creative team includes Rachel Sheinkin , Rachel Portman , Donna di Novelli , and Francesca Zambello...
. This world premiere production at the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
in Minneapolis was directed by Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello is a leading American opera and theatre director. Zambello lived in Europe when she was a child, learning to speak French, Italian, German and Russian. Zambello is of Italian descent, the daughter of Jean , an actress and Charles C. Zambello, a former actor who became head of...
and also starred Kara Lindsay as Laura. The show ran through October 19 and was on a US National tour for 2009–10. The tour ended in June 2010 at Starlight Theatre
Starlight Theatre (Kansas City)
Starlight Theatre is a 7,947-seat outdoor theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, United States that stages touring Broadway shows and concerts. It is one of three remaining self-producing outdoor theatres in the U.S.-History:...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
For her contribution to the television industry, Gilbert has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6429 Hollywood Blvd in 1985. Her then fiance, Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, was present with her when her star was unveiled during the ceremony. She is one of the youngest actresses to have been honored with a star.
Screen Actors Guild Presidency
Melissa won the Screen Actors Guild presidency in 2001 after a contentious electionElection
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
in which she ultimately beat her opponent, Rhoda
Rhoda
Rhoda is an American television sitcom, starring Valerie Harper, which ran for five seasons, from 1974 to 1978 airing in 109 episodes. The show was a spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Harper between the years 1970 and 1974 had played the role of Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky,...
actress Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
, 21,351 votes to 12,613 votes after a second vote was taken. In 2003, she was re-elected, defeating Kent McCord
Kent McCord
Kent McCord is an American actor best known for his role as Officer Jim Reed on the television series Adam-12.- Biography :...
with 50% of the vote to his 42%.
In July 2005, she announced that she would not seek a third term and she was succeeded by Alan Rosenberg
Alan Rosenberg
Alan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...
, who assumed the Guild presidency on September 25.
Personal life
At 17, she reconnected with then little-known actor Rob LoweRob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, also 17. They had met briefly when they were about 14. In 1981, Melissa, in her convertible, saw Lowe stopped next to her at a red light. Gilbert dated Lowe on-and-off for six years. During this time, both had affairs with other famous people. Melissa dated Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Scott Baio, and Billy Idol. After Lowe's failed romance with Princess Stéphanie
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Countess of Polignac is a member of the princely family of Monaco. She is the youngest child of Grace, Princess of Monaco and Rainier III of Monaco, and the sister of Albert II of Monaco and Princess Caroline...
, he suddenly proposed to Gilbert. While making wedding plans, Gilbert found out she was pregnant. Upon being informed of the pregnancy, Lowe ended their relationship. Gilbert miscarried days later.
Heart-broken, Gilbert left for New York City to star in the play A Shayna Maidel. Gilbert was set up with actor Bo Brinkman, a cousin of actors Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
and Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
. The couple married on February 22, 1988, only seven weeks after she ended her relationship with Rob Lowe. Gilbert became pregnant months later. US Magazine featured a very pregnant Gilbert wrapped in a sheer sheet and named her one of "America's Ten Most Beautiful Women" in 1988. On May 1, 1989, she gave birth to Dakota Paul Brinkman. After Dakota's birth, the couple began to have marital problems and divorced in 1992.
Only weeks after Gilbert's divorce filing, Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
's ex-wife (Kathryn Holcomb) set Bruce up with Gilbert. Holcomb by then was married to actor Ian Ogilvy
Ian Ogilvy
Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...
. Gilbert had met Boxleitner as a teenager when they both were on Battle of the Network Stars
Battle of the Network Stars
Battle of the Network Stars is the name of 19 US television specials featuring competitions among teams of popular television performers representing the three major broadcast networks at that time: ABC, CBS, and NBC.- History :...
when Gilbert introduced herself, as she had a pin-up of him in her locker. But Boxleitner ignored her, as she was a teen and he was many years older than she was. After re-connecting, the couple started dating on-and-off for over a year. They were engaged twice and Boxleitner broke up with her each time. After re-uniting for a third time, they finally married on January 1, 1995 in her mother's living room. Gilbert quickly became pregnant, but went into premature labor more than two months before her due date. She gave birth to a son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner, named in honor of Michael Landon, on October 6, 1995. His middle name is in honor of Garret Peckinpah, her friend Sandy Peckinpah's son, who had died suddenly of meningitis at age 16.
Gilbert is also stepmother to Boxleitner's two sons with Holcomb, Sam (b. 1980) and Lee (b. 1985).
She has battled alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, which she wrote about in her 2009 autobiography.
On July 22, 2010, Gilbert underwent surgery to replace a disc as well as fuse a vertebra in her lower spine. The surgery was described as a complete success. It was discovered during a doctor's visit that she had been playing the role of Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in the touring musical Little House on the Prairie with a broken back for months.
On March 1, 2011, Gilbert announced that she and Boxleitner had separated. On August 22, 2011, Gilbert filed for divorce from Boxleitner.
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 1977 in film The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network.... |
Circus, Lions, Tigers and Melissas Too | - | |
| Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A., also released as The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle, is a 1977 television film directed by Jud Taylor.- Plot :... |
Kelly Sullivan | TV movie | |
| 1979 1979 in film The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.... |
Nutcracker Fantasy Nutcracker Fantasy Nutcracker Fantasy is an animated film by Sanrio, very loosely based on Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker and E.T.A. Hoffman's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was nominated for the 1980 Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and the 1980 Young Artist Award for Best Motion Picture... |
Clara | Voice |
| The Miracle Worker The Miracle Worker The Miracle Worker is a cycle of 20th century dramatic works derived from Helen Keller's autobiography The Story of My Life. Each of the various dramas describes the relationship between Keller—a deafblind and initially almost feral child—and Anne Sullivan, the teacher who introduced her to... |
Helen Keller Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.... |
TV movie / Nominated for an Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
|
| 1980 1980 in film - Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year .... |
The Diary of Anne Frank The Diary of Anne Frank (1980 film) The Diary of Anne Frank is a television movie produced in 1980, originally aired on NBC. Like the 1959 film, the screenplay was written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and directed by Boris Sagal... |
Anne Frank Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt... |
TV movie |
| 1981 1981 in film -Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it.... |
Splendor in the Grass Splendor in the Grass (1981 film) Splendor in the Grass is a 1981 television film directed by Richard C. Sarafian. The film is a remake of the 1961 film of the same name, written by William Inge and starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.- Plot :... |
Wilma Dean 'Deanie' Loomis | TV movie |
| 1983 1983 in film -Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of... |
Choices of the Heart Choices of the Heart Choices of the Heart is an award-winning television movie based on the lives of Jean Donovan, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and the three other churchwomen who were killed in El Salvador during their Civil War.-Plot:The movie is based on actual events... |
Jean Donovan Jean Donovan Jean Donovan was an American lay missionary who was murdered with three nuns in El Salvador by a military death squad while volunteering to do charity work during the civil war there.-Life:... |
TV movie |
| Little House: Look Back to Yesterday | Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family... |
TV movie | |
| Little House: Bless All the Dear Children | Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family... |
TV movie | |
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
Little House: The Last Farewell | Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family... |
TV movie |
| Family Secrets | Sara Calloway | TV movie | |
| 1985 1985 in film -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie... |
Sylvester | Charlie | |
| 1986 1986 in film -Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.... |
Drug Free Kids: A Parents' Guide | - | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
| Choices Choices (film) -Plot:The film focuses on a 62-year-old judge who rethinks his opposition to abortion when he finds out both his 19-year-old daughter and 38-year-old wife are unwanted pregnant. When his daughter tries to contemplate an abortion without informing her boyfriend, he immediately expresses his... |
Terry Granger | TV movie | |
| The Penalty Phase | Leah Furman | TV movie | |
| 1987 1987 in film -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records.... |
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife is a 1987 television film directed by Paul Wendkos. The film received generally negative reviews.- Plot :... |
Marian | TV movie |
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Killer Instinct Killer Instinct (film) Killer Instinct, released on video as Deadly Observation, is a 1988 television film directed by Waris Hussein.- Plot :Charlie is a young attorney assigned to the case of Freddy, a violent and uncontrollable man, about to be released from the hospital... |
Dr. Lisa DaVito | TV movie |
| 1989 1989 in film -Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million... |
Ice House | Kay | |
| 1990 1990 in film The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2.... |
Without Her Consent | Emily Briggs | TV movie |
| Forbidden Nights Forbidden Nights Forbidden Nights is a 1990 television film directed by Waris Hussein. The film is based on the article The Rocky Course of Love in China, written by Judith Shapiro. The film was shot in Hong Kong and stars Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson, who both co-starred in Little House on the Prairie... |
Judith Shapiro Judith Shapiro Judith R. Shapiro is a former President of Barnard College, a liberal arts college for women affiliated with Columbia University; as President of Barnard, she was also an academic dean within the university. She was also a professor of anthropology at Barnard... |
TV movie | |
| Joshua's Heart | Claudia | TV movie | |
| Donor | Dr. Kristine Lipton | TV movie | |
| The Lookalike | Gina/Jennifer | TV movie | |
| 1992 1992 in film The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards... |
With a Vengeance | Janet King/Vanessa | TV movie |
| 1993 1993 in film The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:... |
Family of Strangers | Julie | TV movie |
| With Hostile Intent | Miranda Berkley | TV movie | |
| Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story is a 1993 television film directed by Bill Corcoran. The film, which is based upon a true story, garnered generally positive reviews... |
Shari Karney | TV movie | |
| House of Secrets | Marion Ravinel | TV movie | |
| Dying to Remember | Lynn Matthews | TV movie | |
| 1994 1994 in film 1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time... |
The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story, also released as Seeds of Deception, is a 1994 television film directed by Arlene Sanford. The film is based on the true story of Cecil Jacobson, who used his own sperm to impregnate patients, without informing them... |
Mary Bennett | TV movie |
| Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story | Melissa Prentice | TV movie | |
| Cries from the Heart Cries from the Heart Cries from the Heart is a 1994 television film directed by Michael Switzer and starring Patty Duke and Melissa Gilbert, who had co-starred together in three prior films.- Plot :... |
Karen | TV movie | |
| 1995 1995 in film -Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation.... |
Zoya | Zoya Ossipov | TV movie |
| 1996 1996 in film Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:... |
Christmas in My Hometown (a.k.a. A Holiday for Love) |
Emma Murphy | TV movie |
| 1997 1997 in film -Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*... |
Seduction in a Small Town | Sarah Jenks | TV movie |
| Childhood Sweetheart? | Karen Carlson | TV movie | |
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
Her Own Rules | Meredith Sanders | TV movie |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
Murder at 75 Birch | Gwen Todson | TV movie |
| The Soul Collector The Soul Collector -Plot:Zach is a soul collector, an angel who collects souls and takes them up to heaven. He is sent to earth to live as a human being for thirty days on a Texas cattle ranch. There, he falls in love with the ranch owner, Rebecca , a widowed single mother, and he influences the lives of her son and... |
Rebecca | TV movie | |
| Switched at Birth | Sarah Barlow | TV movie | |
| 2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... |
A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle | Donielle | TV movie |
| 2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... |
Sanctuary | Jo Ellen Hathaway | TV movie |
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
Hollywood Wives: The New Generation Hollywood Wives: The New Generation Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, also released as Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, is a 2003 television film directed by Joyce Chopra... |
Taylor Singer | TV movie |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
Heart of the Storm Heart of the Storm (film) Heart of the Storm is a 2004 television film starring Melissa Gilbert and Thomas Cavanagh. It is about a prison break during a hurricane. Three convicts named Tad, Juke, and the leader Simpson, seek refuge in a small family's house and hold them captive. Soon the family begins to get along with... |
Cassie Broadbeck | |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Thicker Than Water Thicker Than Water (2005 film) Thicker than Water is a television film starring Melissa Gilbert and Lindsay Wagner. It premiered on Hallmark Channel on November 23, 2005.-Plot summary:... |
Natalie Jones | TV movie |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Sacrifices of the Heart Sacrifices of the Heart Sacrifices of the Heart is a 2007 television film starring Melissa Gilbert and Ken Howard that aired on Hallmark Channel in 2007. The film is made from a script by Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan.-Plot summary:... originally titled Spring Thaw |
Kate Weston/Anne Weston | TV movie |
| Safe Harbour Safe Harbour (film) Safe Harbour, also known as Danielle Steel's Safe Harbour, is a 2007 direct-to-video film directed by Bill Corcoran, based upon the 2003 novel of the same name by Danielle Steel.- Plot :... |
Ophelia | Direct-to-video |
TV series
| Year | Title | Role | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–83 | Little House on the Prairie Little House on the Prairie (TV series) Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books... |
Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family... |
1–9 | Won two Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... s. Also nominated for a Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... |
| 1992 | Stand By Your Man Stand By Your Man (TV Series) Stand By Your Man was an American sitcom that aired on FOX from April 5, 1992 until May 17, 1992. The series was created by Nancy Steen and Neil Thompson, who also wrote some of the episodes... |
Rochelle Dumphy | 1 | |
| 1992–95 | Batman: The Animated Series Batman: The Animated Series Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated... |
Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino... /Batgirl Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman... |
1-2 | Voice |
| 1994–95 | Sweet Justice Sweet Justice Sweet Justice is an American legal drama television series starring Cicely Tyson and Melissa Gilbert. The hour-long series ran from September 15, 1994 to April 22, 1995 on NBC.-Premise:... |
Kate Delacroy | 1 |
TV appearances
| Year | Title | Season | Role | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Gunsmoke Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West.... |
18 | Spratt's Child | "The Judgement" | Episode 4 |
| Emergency! Emergency! Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios... |
2 | Jenny | "Dinner Date" | Episode 10 | |
| 1978 | The Love Boat The Love Boat The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain... |
2 | Rocky | "Julie's Dilemma/Who's Who/Rocky" | Episode 3 |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre is a live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales. Shelley Duvall serves as narrator, host and executive producer of the program, and occasionally stars in episodes... |
4 | Gerda | "The Snow Queen" | Episode 2 |
| 1991 | The Hidden Room | 1 | - | "Spirit Cabinet" | Episode 4 |
| 1996 | Babylon 5 Babylon 5 Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262... |
3 | Anna Sheridan | "War Without End: Part 2" "Shadow Dancing" "Z'ha'dum Z'ha'dum Z'ha'dum is the final episode of the third season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Teaser:Anna Sheridan, John Sheridan's lost wife, returns to the station, unexpectedly showing up at Sheridan's room, much to the shock and anxiety of Delenn. Anna attempts to get close to... " |
Episode 17 Episode 21 Episode 22 |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits The Outer Limits (1995 TV series) The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002... |
4 | Teresa Janovitch | "Relativity Theory" | Episode 6 |
| Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della... |
5 | Michelle Tanner | "The Peacemaker" | Episode 10 | |
| 2002 | Providence Providence (TV series) Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr... |
4 | Lorna Berlin | "Smoke and Mirrors" | Episode 21 |
| Presidio Med Presidio Med Presidio Med is an American Television series which aired 2002–2003, centering around a San Francisco hospital. It was created by John Wells and Lydia Woodward, who also created ER.-Series premise:... |
1 | Grace Bennett | "Once Upon a Family" | Episode 7 | |
| 2005 | 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
9 | Marie Wagner | "Honor Thy Mother" | Episode 18 |
| 2006 | Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy... |
4 | Shari Noble | "Shari Noble" | Episode 4 |
| 2009 | Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions... |
3 | Herself | "Chelsea Lately" | Episode 131 |
| 2010 | The Talk The Talk (U.S. TV series) The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime... |
1 | Herself - Guest | - | Episode 29 |
External links
- Prairie star wins union race
- Adoption
- Briefly mentions when she met her biological father
- Interview with Jon Stewart, The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, February 8, 1999