Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, TV director, producer, and politician. She started her career as a child actress in the late 1960s appearing in numerous commercials and guest-starring roles on television.
She worked as the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005. She ran for U.S. Congress as a Democrat in Michigan's 8th congressional district in 2016 and won the Democratic primary.
Adoptive Daughter Of Paul Gilbert and Barbara Crane
Melissa Ellen Gilbert was born on May 8, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. She is an American and is of a white ethnic background.
CAPTION: Adoptive Daughter Of Paul Gilbert and Barbara Crane SOURCE: CAPTION: Melissa Gilbert with her father during her school days SOURCE: Instagram
Melissa was born to a newly engaged couple in Los Angeles. David Darlington and Kathy Wood who were her biological parents put her for adoption immediately after her birth. A day later she got adopted by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife Barbara Crane who was a dancer and an actress.
She had an adopted brother named Jonathan. When she was eight years old her parents got divorced. Paul Gilbert died of a stroke on February 1,3, 1976 at the age of 56. Melissa was brought up in Jewish religion without any conversion ceremony.
Melissa Gilbert's Career
Melissa started off doing commercials and before she landed upon the part of Laura Ingalls on NBC’s series Little House on the Prairie she had already done dozens of commercials. The one she did for Alpo dog food with Lorne Greene was popular. She began filming the series around the year 1978.
While her show ‘Little house….’ was running she appeared in many popular TV movies like The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker. After the series, she kept working regularly, mostly on TV.
She appeared in the biopic Choices of the Heart as Jean Donovan in1983 and also in 3 episodes of Babylon 5 as Anna Sheridan in 1996.
She also gave her voice in animated series like ‘Batman…The Animated Series’. Gilbert took part in Season 14 of the reality dancing show, ‘Dancing With the Stars’.
During a dance performance she fell down and hurt her leg as well she suffered a mild concussion and had to be taken to the hospital.
But she came to join and got in the top 5. She was eliminated on the day of her birthday. From 2001 to 2005 she was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Her autobiography Prairie Tale: A Memoir was released in 2009.
Melissa Gilbert's Net Worth And Body Measurements
Melissa Gilbert's net worth is $500 thousand at present. She earns a decent amount of salary from her career.
Melissa Gilbert reportedly owes $360,000 in federal income taxes. She has also reportedly worked out a payment plan with the IRS. This is her second run-in with the IRS. She reportedly owed $112,000 in 2013.
She stands at a height of 1.60 meters. She has beautiful and looks way too attractive for her age. Though there was news of her getting plastic surgery, her looks cannot be denied. Her body measurements are 36-26-34. She is 49 years of age. Her hot and steamy pictures can be found online.
Married Thrice and Gone Through Several Relationships
She has quite a history when we speak of her marriages and relationships. As of now, Gilbert has had three marriages and two divorces. She first married actor Bo Brinkman on February 22, 1988, and divorced in 1992.The couple has a son together named Dakota Paul Brinkman.
Her second marriage was to Bruce Boxleitner on January 1, 1995. The couple separated in March 1, 2011. Melissa filed for divorce on August 22, 2011. She gave premature birth to son Michael Garrett Boxleitnerof the marriage.
CAPTION: Married Thrice and Gone Through Several Relationships SOURCE: CAPTION: Melissa Gilbert with her second husband Bruce Boxleitne SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
On June 29, 2013, she got engaged to fellow actor Timothy Busfield and got married on April 24, 2013. They shared the wedding vows in small cermony in Santa Barbara, California at San Ysidro Ranch. Her current was also married twice. They currently live in Michigan.
Gilbert had flings with likes of Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Scott Bai, and Billy Idol. Her relationship with Rob Lowe can be accounted as rather unpleasant as she had a miscarriage and Lowe bailed out on her after asking her for marriage.
Melissa Gilbert's Awards And Achievements
Gilbert has won the Young Artist Award for her role in Little House on the Prairie in the category of the best young actress in the year 1983 and 1984. She won a star on the Hollywood Walk of fame in 1985.
In 2006, She won the TV Land awards for Most Memorable Kiss from Little House on the Prairie with fellow kisser Dean Butler. She also had won the Golden Boots Award once in 2000. Besides, she has been nominated in many prestigious national and international level Awards.
by sanjeet, 12 Mar, 2014
