It’s weird to witness a kid star grow into an adult, following their profession, while we practically track the development of their lives.

There are many youngsters in Hollywood who are only a flash in the pan—those who make their debut in a successful film or TV series, only to have their popularity wane quickly. They frequently wind up working ‘regular’ occupations, even if they are occasionally acknowledged for the part they played.

However, there are others whose star potential has been completely fulfilled. You know the type: the kids who make an impression with their first performance and then proceed from strength to strength. Melissa Gilbert unquestionably falls into the second type. Melissa initially appeared as Laura Ingalls Wilder in the smash-hit Little House on the Prairie in 1974, when she was nine years old.

As impressive as her casting was, she had no idea the amount of celebrity and recognition it would bring her. Neither did they anticipate the show’s global scope and popularity.

Little House on the Prairie, starring Michael Landon and Karen Grassle, ran for nine seasons and catapulted the young Melissa Gilbert to dizzying heights she could never have imagined.

Melissa was only a youngster when she got her iconic role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie. She actually grew up on set between the ages of eight and 18, and the experience impacted her life, including providing her with a father figure in her on-screen father, Michael Landon.

“I’ve always loved my job,” she told Parade. “I had a great time on the set of Little House on the Prairie.” It was a delightful and beautiful environment to grow up in if you were a young performer.”