The popular new adaptation of "Little House on the Prairie," which began streaming on Netflix earlier this month, has caused a resurgence of interest in the original 1974 television series starring Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.But what happened to the original cast?The cast of "Little House on the Prairie" is seen in a promotional photo.(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Melissa Gilbert played Laura Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie." (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)Melissa Gilbert is best known for her portrayal of Laura Ingalls in the original series, which she began in 1974 at just 9 years old.The 62-year-old had already been on shows like "Gunsmoke" and "Emergency" when the show started.Also serving as the narrator of the show, Gilbert stayed on "Little House on the Prairie" for all nine seasons until 1983.BELOVED 'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE' FACES WAGONLOAD OF 'WOKE' ALLEGATIONS OVER NETFLIX REBOOTDuring her time on the show, she made several TV movies, including "The Miracle Worker," "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "Splendor in the Grass."She also reprised her role in the TV movies "Little House Years," "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday," "Little House: The Final Farewell," and "Little House: Bless All the Dear Children."Gilbert continued to act after the show ended on dozens of TV movies and she also voiced Barbara Gordon on "Batman: The Animated Series" from 1992 to 1994.Gilbert also made TV appearances on shows like "Touched by an Angel," "Providence," "7th Heaven," "Nip/Tuck" and she had a recurring role on Hallmark’s "When Calls the Heart," but recently revealed in an Instagram post that she would not be returning to the show.
She said she was told that was due to "budget issues."The news came after her husband Timothy Busfield, who she married in 2013, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse in J...