Melissa Gilbert has a net worth of $500,000. She is an actress and director from the United States. That is her combined net worth with her husband, fellow actor Timothy Busfield, since 2013. Melissa has had financial and personal difficulties in recent years. She has had tax problems as a result of a slowing career and a costly divorce. More on these issues can be found later in the article.
Melissa Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s. Her breakthrough role was as writer Laura Ingalls Wilder on the NBC historical drama television series “Little House on the Prairie” in 1974. Gilbert later entered politics as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Michigan’s 8th congressional district in 2016.
Gilbert primarily appeared in TV movies and feature films after Little House ended, including “Sylvester,” “Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife,” “Killer Instinct,” “Without Her Consent,” “Forbidden Nights,” “The Lookalike,” “Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story,” “Cries from the Heart,” “The Soul Collector,” and “Hollywood Wives: The New Generation.” She played Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in “Batman: The Animated Series” from 1992 to 1994, and Kate Delacroy in “Sweet Justice” from 1994 to 1995.
Gilbert appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2012, but was knocked out during the eighth week.
She received one Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Special for “The Miracle Worker” in 1980, as well as one Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama for “Little House on the Prairie.” For her work on the iconic show, she received two Young Artist Awards.
Gilbert was the Screen Actors Guild president from 2001 to 2005, when she decided not to run for re-election. Gilbert’s battle with alcohol and drug addiction is documented in her 2009 memoir, “Prairie Tale.”
Background
Melissa Gilbert was born to David and Kathy Gilbert on May 8, 1964 in Los Angeles, California. She was placed for adoption immediately after birth, and one day later she was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert and his wife, actress Barbara Crane. Gilbert’s adoptive parents divorced when she was eight years old.
Her mother later married Harold Abeles and had a daughter named Sara with him. Gilbert also has a brother named Jonathan, whom her parents adopted. Gilbert’s adoptive father committed suicide when she was 11 years old. Her mother and stepfather later divorced.
Gilbert was engaged to actor Rob Lowe in the 1980s, but the couple divorced. She then dated and married actor Bo Brinkman in 1988. Before divorcing in 1992, the couple had a son named Dakota. Soon after, Gilbert began dating actor and author Bruce Boxleitner, whose ex-wife introduced them. They had actually met on “Battle of the Network Stars” when Gilbert was a teenager.
Gilbert and Boxleitner married in 1995 after being engaged twice and breaking it off both times. They had a son named Michael before divorcing in 2011. Since 2013, she has been married to actor Timothy Busfield.
Tax Issues
Melissa Gilbert allegedly owed $360,000 in federal income taxes, according to reports in June 2015. According to reports, she worked out a payment plan with the IRS. It was her second encounter with the IRS. In 2013, she owed $112,000, according to reports. Gilbert issued the following statement to explain her financial situation:
“The recession hit me hard, as it did so many others across the country. That, combined with a divorce and the loss of acting opportunities in recent years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me.”
Where is Melissa Gilbert now?
Melissa and Timothy paid $98,000 for a 14-acre property in the Catskill Mountains of New York, about 20 minutes from Woodstock, in 2019. This is the primary residence at the moment.
Career
Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s, appearing in a number of television commercials. She appeared in a Christmas episode of “The Dean Martin Comedy Hour” in 1968. Gilbert made a comeback on television in the early 1970s, appearing on shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Emergency!,” and “Tenafly.”
The film “Little House on the Prairie”
In 1974, Gilbert landed her breakthrough role on the NBC historical drama series “Little House on the Prairie,” which was based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” book series. Gilbert played Laura, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls, played by Michael Landon, and Caroline Ingalls, played by Karen Grassle, on the show.
Melissa Sue Anderson, Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush played her siblings on the show. Gilbert beat out over 500 other young actresses for the role of Laura. “Little House on the Prairie” was a huge hit that lasted until 1982. There was also a “Little House: A New Beginning” sequel series that aired afterward, ending in 1983, as well as a handful of subsequent “Little House” television films.
Gilbert appeared in a number of television films during her time on “Little House on the Prairie.” She appeared in “Christmas Miracle in Caulfield, USA” and an adaptation of “The Miracle Worker,” in which she played Helen Keller, in the late 1970s. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance as Keller.
Gilbert played Anne Frank in an adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in the early 1980s. She also played missionary Jean Donovan in “Choices of the Heart” and starred in a television remake of “Splendor in the Grass.” Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Gilbert appeared in television films such as “Family Secrets,” “Choices,” “Penalty Phase,” “Killer Instinct,” and “Chameleons.”
Gilbert has mostly starred in television movies on the small screen. “Without Her Consent,” “Forbidden Nights,” “The Lookalike,” “Family of Strangers,” “Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story,” “Seduction in a Small Town,” “Her Own Rules,” “The Soul Collector,” and “Mistaken Identity” were among her 1990s credits. Gilbert appeared in television films such as “Sanctuary,” “Then Came Jones,” “Heart of the Storm,” “Thicker Than Water,” and “Sacrifices of the Heart” in the 2000s.
She has also had significant roles on regular series, including a recurring role on the Fox sitcom “Stand by Your Man” and another recurring role on the NBC legal drama “Sweet Justice.” Gilbert also appeared in episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Secrets and Lies.” She also competed in season 14 of the dance competition series “Dancing with the Stars.” She came in fifth place with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Melissa Gilbert made her feature film debut in Don Knotts’ 1967 comedy “The Reluctant Astronaut.” She didn’t make another appearance on the big screen until 1985, when she played a young horse trainer in the family drama “Sylvester.” Gilbert hasn’t done much acting since then, with her only credits being the direct-to-video romance “Safe Harbour” and the drama “Guest Artist.”
Social Media
Melissa Gilbert is on Instagram, where she has over 170,000 followers.
