| Alison Arngrim | |
| Birth Name: | Alison Margaret Arngrim |
| Birth Date: | 18 January 1962 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actress, author |
| Mother: | Norma MacMillan |
| Relations: | Stefan Arngrim (brother) |
| Spouse: |
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| Years Active: | 1974–present |
Alison Margaret Arngrim (born January 18, 1962)[1] is an American actress and author. Beginning her television career at the age of twelve, Arngrim is a Young Artist Award–Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award honoree, best known for her portrayal of Nellie Oleson on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1982.
Arngrim's father, Thor Arngrim, was a Canadian-born Hollywood manager.[2] Her mother, Norma MacMillan of Vancouver, British Columbia, was an actress who provided the voices for characters for: Casper on Casper the Friendly Ghost, Gumby on Gumby, Davey on Davey and Goliath, Sweet Polly Purebred on Underdog, and other animated children's programs.[3]
Her brother Stefan (b. 1955) was also a child actor, perhaps best known for his role as Barry Lockridge on the Irwin Allen science fiction television series, Land of the Giants.[4]
Arngrim claimed that her brother sexually molested her from age six until nine, when he was aged from 13 to 16 years old.[5] She also claimed that her brother admitted to the abuse but isn't particularly apologetic for his behavior. Arngrim stated that she no longer has any kind of relationship with her brother, a decision she reports has bettered her life.[6]
After beginning a career as a child model and actress in television commercials, Arngrim rose to fame as a child star in 1974, portraying the role of Nellie Oleson on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie. She originally auditioned for the role of Laura Ingalls and, later, Mary Ingalls, but was instead cast in the role of antagonist Nellie Oleson. Arngrim would play the role of Nellie for seven seasons and her portrayal became a cultural reference and camp archetype for the spoiled "bad girl" throughout the 1970s.[7]
Years later, in one of her stand-up routines, Arngrim described playing Nellie on Little House on The Prairie as "like having PMS for seven years."[8] In 2002, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her work as a child actress on Little House.[9] At the 2006 TV Land Awards, Arngrim tied with Danielle Spencer ('Dee' on What's Happening!!) as the "Character Most in Need of a Time-out" for her role as Nellie.
In addition to her role on Little House, Arngrim also recorded the 1977 comedy record album, Heeere's Amy on Laff Records, where she impersonates President Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy .[10] Her mother, who voiced the Kennedy children on the comedy albums of Vaughn Meader, also guest starred on the album. After leaving Little House, Arngrim appeared in guest-starring roles on such television series as The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. She was also a frequent panelist on the short-lived NBC game show Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour.
Starting in 2006, she developed a successful career on stage in France, with her friend, author/director/comedian Patrick Loubatière. In 2017 in Pinehurst, North Carolina she appeared as Emily Brent in Judson Theatre Company's production of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.[11]
In addition to performing, Arngrim also devotes her time to charitable organizations. One of her inspirations for her charity work is the memory of her friend and fellow actor Steve Tracy, who played the role of Nellie Oleson's husband, Percival Dalton, on Little House on the Prairie. Tracy died from complications of AIDS in 1986, after which Arngrim set her sights on becoming an activist for AIDS awareness including the organization ACT UP and working at AIDS hotline. She also focuses on other issues, such as child abuse, speaking frequently for and lobbying with the group PROTECT.[12] In 2004, Arngrim revealed on Larry King Live that she herself was an incest survivor.[13]
In 2010, Arngrim authored an autobiography titled Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated.[14] In the book she, for the first time, publicly identified her then-teenaged brother as her childhood abuser, though the book is mostly light-hearted and received critical praise for her ability to mix humor and personal tragedy.[15] She wrote and performed a stage version, which premiered at Club Fez in New York.[16] She later performed this one-person show at Parliament House, a gay resort in Orlando, Florida.[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Throw Out the Anchor! | Stevie | Feature film |
| 1974–1982 | Little House on the Prairie | Main role | |
| 1981 | The Love Boat | Becky Daniels | Episode: "Tony and Julie/Separate Beds/America's Sweetheart" |
| Fantasy Island | Lisa Blake | Episode: "Elizabeth's Baby/The Artist and the Lady" | |
| 1983 | I Married Wyatt Earp | Amy | TV film |
| 1986 | Video Valentino | Trixie | Short film |
| 2000 | For the Love of May | Jude | |
| 2002 | The Last Place on Earth | Party Toast | Feature film |
| 2007 | Le deal | Edith | |
| 2009 | Make the Yuletide Gay | Heather Mancuso | |
| The Bilderberg Club: Meet the Shadow One World Government | Dr. Samantha Klein | Short film | |
| 2012 | Livin' the Dream | Debbie Sweat | |
| 2015 | The Comeback Kids | Herself | Episode: "Child Star Support Group: Part 2" |
| CPR Talent Agency | Pilot | ||
| Life Interrupted | Ally Hughes | TV film | |
| 2017 | The Mephisto Box | Leeza | Feature film |
| 2021 | Even in Dreams | Debra |
Other sources