Melissa Ellen Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer who was born in Los Angeles, California. She was adopted one day later by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert (born Ed MacMahon, he changed his name to Paul Gilbert to get a Screen Actors Guild card) and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane, the daughter of The Honeymooners creator Harry Crane. The couple later adopted a son, Jonathan Gilbert, who co-starred with Melissa as Willie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. When Melissa was 8, her parents divorced. Barbara then married Harold Abeles, and together they had biological daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles (the actress known professionally as Sara Gilbert), born on January 29, 1975. On February 12, 1975, Paul Gilbert suffered a stroke and died at the age of 56. Barbara and Harold Abeles' marriage later ended in divorce.With Hollywood connections in her family background and a natural ability for entertaining at a very young age, Melissa had already done dozens of commercials, including one for Alpo dog food with Lorne Greene (Michael Landon's television father on Bonanza). She tried out for the role of Laura Ingalls, Charles Ingalls' middle daughter, on NBC's 2-hour pilot of the book Little House on the Prairie. Growing up she was unfamiliar with Landon, having never met him or watched Bonanza. She attended school with his daughter, Leslie Landon who guested on Little House as a teen and then played school teacher Etta Plumb during the last season. It was Leslie who informed her that she had won the role of Laura, beating out over 500 child actresses for this part. The pilot was shot in 1973 and was a ratings success. Almost a year later Melissa began filming the series. She became extremely close to the Landon family after her adoptive father died.
Melissa has continued to work regularly, mainly in television. She starred as Jean Donovan in the biopic Choices of the Heart, and as Anna Sheridan in three episodes of Babylon 5 with husband Bruce Boxleitner in 1996. She is known as "The Queen of the television movies and mini-series" having starred in over 45 of them since the late 1970s. For her contribution to the television industry, Gilbert has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6429 Hollywood Blvd in 1985. She is one of the youngest actresses to have been honored with a star.
Melissa also served two terms as President of the Screen Actors Guild.
At 17, she reconnected with then little-known actor Rob Lowe, also 17. They met briefly when they were about 14. In 1981, Melissa, in her convertible, saw Lowe stopped next to her at a red light. Gilbert dated Lowe on-and-off for six years. During this time, both had affairs with other famous people. Melissa dated Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Scott Baio, and Billy Idol. After Lowe's failed romance with Princess Stéphanie, he suddenly proposed to Melissa. While making wedding plans, Melissa found out she was pregnant. Upon being informed of the pregnancy, Lowe ended their relationship. Melissa miscarried days later.
Heart-broken, Melissa left for New York City to star in the play A Shayna Maidel. She was set up with actor Bo Brinkman, a cousin of actors Randy Quaid and Dennis Quaid. The couple married on February 22, 1988, only seven weeks after she ended her relationship with Rob Lowe. Melissa became pregnant months later. On May 1, 1989, she gave birth to Dakota Paul Brinkman. After Dakota's birth, the couple began to have marital problems and divorced in 1992.
Only weeks after Melissa's divorce filing, Bruce Boxleitner's ex-wife (Kathryn Holcomb) set Bruce up with Melissa. The couple was on-and-off for over a year. They were engaged twice and Bruce broke up with her each time. After re-uniting for a third time, they finally married on January 1, 1995 in her mother's living room. Melissa quickly became pregnant, but went into premature labor more than two months before her due date. She gave birth to a son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner, named in honor of Michael Landon, on October 6, 1995. Melissa is also stepmother to Boxleitner's two sons with Holcomb, Sam and Lee.
She has battled alcoholism and drug abuse, which she wrote about in her 2009 autobiography.
On July 22, 2010, Melissa underwent surgery to replace a disc as well as fuse a vertebra in her lower spine.
I could find no "religious affiliation" for either Melissa or Bruce. Amazing. Not even something about their childhoods. Please pray that our Father will reveal Himself to them!
-Heidi