Melissa Sue Anderson was born on September 26, 1962, in Berkeley, California, USA. She is an actress best recognized for portraying Mary Ingalls in the hit television series Little House on the Prairie during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Net Worth
While the exact figure of Melissa Sue Anderson’s net worth remains uncertain, reports from late 2018 estimated it to be around $1.5 million. She accumulated this wealth through a successful career in acting, which included roles in various television and film projects. If she chooses to pursue further endeavors, her earnings could continue to grow.
Early Life and Entry into Entertainment
Melissa Sue was the younger of two daughters. Her family relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles when she was young. At 13, her parents divorced, and she was primarily raised by her mother, who was a devout Roman Catholic.
While taking dance lessons, one of her teachers suggested that her parents seek an agent for her, leading to opportunities in commercials for brands like Mattel and Sears. This exposure paved the way for television roles, including a guest appearance on Bewitched.
She also played Millicent, the girl who kissed Bobby Brady in The Brady Bunch, and appeared in an episode of Shaft the same year. These early roles eventually led to her breakthrough part in Little House on the Prairie, where she spent eight years as part of a story centered on a farming family in the 1870s and 1880s.
Post-Little House on the Prairie Career
After departing Little House on the Prairie in its seventh season, Melissa Sue Anderson received a nomination for her performance in the 1981 horror film Happy Birthday to Me. She went on to make appearances in popular TV shows such as The Equalizer, Murder, She Wrote, and CHiPs.
She later explored behind-the-scenes work, serving as an associate producer for the 1990 television movie Where Pigeons Go to Die, which was Michael Landon’s final film. In 1998, she was honored with an induction into the Western Performers Hall of Fame. The following year, she starred in the short-lived sitcom Partners.
Later Years and Life Beyond Acting
Melissa Sue Anderson significantly reduced her acting work in the later stages of her career. One of her final television roles was as First Lady Megan Hollister in the 2006 miniseries 10.5 Apocalypse. She also made appearances in short films and had an uncredited role as Stosh’s mother in Veronica Mars in 2014.
Her autobiography, The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, offered insight into her experiences as a child star, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about the show’s cast, crew, and guest stars.
In 2002, she and her family relocated to Montreal, Canada, and in 2007, they officially became Canadian citizens on Canada Day. Reports indicate that she largely stepped away from acting to focus on being a stay-at-home mother and caring for her family.
In a past interview, she shared that one of the most challenging roles of her career was portraying Mary Ingalls’ transition to blindness during the fourth season of Little House on the Prairie.