DeanO Goes To Hollywood! Every once in a while, I will break the usual musical format of the program to bring you a celebrity interview. Today, it's Olson and Oleson...Nellie, that is. ALISON ARNGRIM sat down for a chat discussing all the projects she has accomplished since her steady run on "Little House On The Prairie." It is a true pleasure to interview actors and others who have entertained me as I was growing up, especially when they are of my generation. That's a good enough excuse to interview Alison, but as you will discover, she had a musical tidbit to bring to the table, and that was fun as well.
The conversation was free-flowing on topics, including her one woman show, cartoon voiceovers, her direction of Rich Little's virtual show, and a story of her and her husband's courtship. Plus, you can learn how Alison grew a natural following online reading storybooks during a pandemic to adoring fans. There is so much more to learn, so please check out this great episode featuring a wonderful woman who brought to life one of the great loveable hated characters in pop culture. And I hope you will love and admire Alison as much as I do. Please enjoy the show!
Dean Olson
StrongWriter On the Radio
* Listen to Alison's Interview with Dean! *
Featured Guest: ALISON ARNGRIM
Photos courtesy of AlisonArngrim.net
Since the end of “Little House on the Prairie,” Alison has played a dozen or so roles in film and TV, but her true love is the stage. She has performed stand-up, played roles in theater, and even parodied Mrs. Oleson in the opening weekend of Prairie-Oke, a fun play of ridiculous hyperbole described as a mash-up of “Glee,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Saturday Night Live.”
It wasn’t until about a year after her time on Little House that she began to feel the depression from her childhood abuse. She recounts declining her doctor’s offer of medication, opting instead for intensive therapy. As she became stronger and more confident in her own life, she began to find ways of helping others.
As a result of her history of child abuse, Alison is actively engaged in advocacy to protect children. She currently serves as the President of the National Association to Protect Children, dedicated to protecting children from harm. She has spoken before the California State Senate, worked on legislative campaigns in many states, and helped influence federal legislation as well.
Her friendship with Steve Tracy became a pivotal point for her. When Steve went public about his diagnosis as HIV positive, she stood by his side and learned a lot about the disease during a time when fear and myths were prevalent. She signed up for the AIDS Project Los Angeles hotline training program to learn everything she could. Soon she was speaking about HIV all over the city and her popularity as Nellie opened doors to discuss this tough topic. She continues her work with APLA to this day.
Notably, when the town of Walnut Grove and Alison Arngrim worked together in a fundraiser for AIDS research, Alison was able to visit all of the original historic sites for the first time. The real Walnut Grove is quite different from the Simi Valley filming location, but Plum Creek looked familiar. Alison indulged her audience with one last tumble into the creek, plopping down and crying “Mo-ther!” as only Alison-as-Nellie could.
In 2010, Alison released her book Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated, as a chronicle of her challenges and triumphs in a life of child stardom and iconic villainy. Fans still flock to hear her stand-up comedy routine. In fact, you can find a list of dates and times for upcoming shows and other events here.
- From LittleHouseOnThePrairie.com
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