‘Little House On The Prairie’ Star Reveals The Surprising Reason Why She Left California

Wikipedia

Actress Melissa Gilbert is best known for the staring role she played on a series “Little House on the Prairie.” According to IMDB, she played Laura Ingalls in all 204 episodes of the show which aired from 1974 to 1983. Even now, decades later, the show is still on the air.

Although Gilbert will always consider Los Angeles to be her hometown, she no longer lives in California. Back in 2013, she decided to move clear across the country, and she her current neighborhood is Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Recently, the 60 year old talked to Page Six about why she decided to move to New York, and what her life is like now.

The reason she left California actually has to do with getting older. She explained, “I just didn’t feel like that was a safe place for me to age. It’s so anti-aging, which is one of my least favorite expressions in the world.” She added, “Anti-aging means dead.”

Gilbert felt pressure to stay young and thin forever when she lived in California, but all that changed when she moved. She shared, “I went from, ‘Oh God, I better not get older!’ to ‘Oh God, I’m so glad I’m older!”

She now feels free to embrace and appreciate her age. She said, “I love the age I am right now. Sixty has been the most incredible year, just to look back on all the things I’ve done and to know that I’ve earned my opinions, I have value, I am wise. I have done so much and I continue to do it and it’s not over by any stretch of the imagination.”

Gilbert also mentioned the recent fires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. This tragic incident made her realize how important Los Angeles will always be to her. She explained, “I did not realize the depth of love that I have for my hometown until the wildfires.” She added, “It’s devastating and I do love so much about Los Angeles. It just wasn’t the right place for me to live in any longer but it will always be my hometown.”

The actress’s career is still going strong, but her most recent project is on stage instead of on screen. She is currently preparing to perform in an off-Broadway play called “Still.”

That doesn’t mean that you won’t find Gilbert on screen. She also has a role in the Hallmark channel series “When Calls the Heart.”

What the video below to learn more about Gilbert’s life after leaving Los Angeles.