What happened to Melissa Sue Anderson? Check out what she’s been up to.
Melissa Sue Anderson, born on September 26, 1962, in Berkeley, California, USA, is a celebrated actress, best remembered for her iconic portrayal of Mary Ingalls in the beloved television series “Little House on the Prairie” during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although Melissa Sue Anderson’s net worth remains undisclosed, reports from late 2018 estimated her wealth to be around $1.5 million. This considerable sum was amassed through a successful acting career spanning various film and television projects. With her continued dedication and ambition, it’s expected that her financial status will only rise.
Early Life and Entry into Entertainment
Melissa Sue was born the younger of two girls. Her family relocated from the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles when she was young. However, at the age of 13, her parents divorced, and she was primarily raised by her Roman Catholic mother.
Her journey into the world of entertainment began when her teacher suggested her parents find her an agent while she was attending dancing classes. This led to her featuring in numerous advertisements, including commercials for Mattel and Sears. Soon after, she started receiving offers for television roles, including a guest appearance on an episode of “Bewitched.”
She also portrayed Millicent, a girl who kissed Bobby in “The Brady Bunch,” and appeared in an episode of “Shaft” the same year. These early roles eventually paved the way for her breakthrough role in “Little House on the Prairie,” where she would work for the following eight years. The series, set in the 1870s and 1880s, revolved around the life of a farm family.
Post “Little House on the Prairie”
Following her departure from “Little House on the Prairie” after the seventh season, Melissa Sue received a nomination the following year for her role in the horror film “Happy Birthday to Me.” She then went on to appear in various films and television shows such as “The Equalizer,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “CHiPs.”
She also ventured into production, serving as an associate producer on a 1990 television episode of “Where Pigeons Go to Die,” which was Michael Landon’s final film. Her contributions to the entertainment industry were recognized when she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 1999, she starred in the television sitcom “Partners,” which unfortunately met an untimely end.
Later Career and Personal Life
In the latter phases of her career, Melissa Sue Anderson’s on-screen appearances became less frequent. One of her notable performances was in the 2006 miniseries “10.5 Apocalypse,” where she portrayed First Lady Megan Hollister.
She has since appeared in several short films and had an uncredited role as Stosh’s mother in “Veronica Mars” in 2014. Melissa Sue penned her autobiography, “The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House,” which offers readers a glimpse into her experiences as a child star, including behind-the-scenes stories about cast members, guests, and crew.
In 2002, Melissa Sue and her family relocated to Montreal, and they became naturalized Canadians five years later on Canada Day. Sources indicate that she has largely stepped away from her acting career to focus on being a stay-at-home mom and caring for her family.
In an interview, she revealed that one of her most challenging roles was when her character went blind during the fourth season of “Little House on the Prairie.”
