Caroline Ingalls is a central and very important character in Little House on the Prairie. Played by Karen Grassle in Michael Landon’s series, she touched the whole world with her kindness. But what was the real Caroline Ingalls like and above all, how were her last days?
Little House on the Prairie by Michael Landon is the adaptation of the series of novels of the same name, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The latter decided to recount his childhood and life in nine volumesunder the advice of her daughter who pushed her to do it. The members of the Ingalls family, with the exception of Albert played by Matthew Laborteaux, therefore really existed in real life.
The mysterious death of the real Caroline Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls, real name Caroline Lake Quinerwas born December 12, 1839 in Wisconsin. She later met Charles Phillip Ingalls, whom she married on November 1, 1860. Together they had five children: Mary, Laura, Caroline, Freddie and Grace. Her life changed in 1902, when her husband tragically died at the age of 66 from cardiovascular disease.
For 22 years, Caroline Ingalls lived alone, before took his last breath on April 20, 1924, at the age of 84. Her death remains a mystery because even today, no one knows exactly what she died of. We only know that her death was very unexpected since she fell ill suddenly, during a winter that seemed to be difficult.
It was Karen Grassle who brilliantly played Caroline Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie
It’s hard not to think of Karen Grassle when we talk about the character of Caroline Ingalls, as she played it so brilliantly in Little House on the Prairie. The American actress has also confided in several interviews that the series saved his lifesince, before getting it, she had problems making ends meet.
« My agent got me a show on a show with this actor from Bonanza (Michael Landon). I didn’t watch much TV, so I asked, ‘Which one is it?’ And he replied, ‘It’s Little Joe.’ II was the only one at the audition – they had already seen everyone in Hollywood! They didn’t have time anymore because they had already cast all the other characters. After reading my second scene with Mike, he suddenly stood up and said, ‘Take her for fittings!’ » she told Closer Weekly in 2020.
A difficult shoot for Karen Grassle
And Little House on the Prairie allowed her to get her head above water and explode her career, Karen Grassle has never had her tongue in her pocket regarding difficult filming. For example, she several times confided that it was difficult to play alongside Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls). “ It’s complicated to have the person directing you play a scene with youbecause she judges the way you play her“, she told the media Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
She also denounced his behavior in her autobiography Bright Lights, Prairie Dust : Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House’s Ma : « He started telling these disgusting jokes about the female anatomy while we were all sitting there. And he was surrounded by men who laughed at these jokes. It was really inappropriate… We didn’t have a word for sexual harassment back then » .
