[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, BEFORE SHE EVEN HIT HER
TEENAGE YEARS, ALISON ARNGRIM
HAD PLAYED A VILLAIN FOR THE
AGES.
SHE PLAYED NASTY NELLIE OLESON
ON "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE
PRAIRIE."
SHE'S HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO HER IN A
MOMENT.
FIRST, A REMINDER OF WHAT MADE
HER ROLE SO ICONIC.
WATCH.
>> MY HOME IS THE BEST HOUSE IN
ALL OF WALNUT GROVE.
>> Reporter: ALISON ARNGRIM IS
THE ORIGINAL MEAN GIRL.
FROM THE RETORTS.
TO OCCASIONAL SHOVE.
SHE PLAYED NELLIE OLESON ON
"LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE"
FOR SEVEN YEARS.
SHE APPEARED ON "FANTASY ISLAND"
AND "THE LOVE BOAT," PLAYING A
SPOILED CHILD STAR.
SHE WRITES ABOUT GROWING UP A
VILLAIN IN HER "NEW YORK TIMES"
BEST-SELLING BOOK, "CONFESSIONS
OF A PRAIRIE B-WORD."
AND FANS LOVE TO HATE HER.
MANY CATCHING HER ONE-WOMAN
SHOW.
ARNGRIN HAS FACED NE LLLIE, FRO
VILLAIN TO ICON.
>> HELP ME WELCOME ALISON
ARNGRIM.
I KNOW.
>> SO THRILLED.
TO HAVE YOU HERE.
LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE.
>> SO MUCH FUN.
>> HONESTLY, I CAN'T THINK OF
SOMEBODY I WOULD RATHER BE
SITTING ACROSS FROM RIGHT NOW.
>> SHE'S SO NICE.
THANK YOU.
>> HONESTLY.
I LOVE THE BOOK.
IT'S COMING OUT IN THE AUDIO
VERSION, TOO.
>> HARD COVER, KINDLE, AUDIO,
FRENCH, WHATEVER YOU WANT.
>> YOU CAN HEAR HER TALKING AS
NE
NELLIE.
>> YES.
>> IS IT TRUE YOU AUDITIONED FOR
THE LAURA ROLE.
WE'RE MAKING A SERIES ABOUT
THESE BOOKS.
I DIDN'T READ THESE BOOKS.
THEY HAD ME READ FOR LAURA AND
THEN, FOR MARY.
THEN, THEY SAID COME BACK, HOW
MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THIS THING?
AND I GET THIS -- I TURNED TO MY
FATHER AND SAID, THIS IS NOT A
NORMAL PART.
THIS GIRL IS -- SHE'S THE "B"
WORD.
AND HE SAID, READ IT JUST LIKE
THAT.
DON'T TOUCH A THING.
I WAS HIRED ON THE SPOT,
WHICH --
>> YOU NAILED IT.
>> THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT ME.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT.
>> I DID NOT KNOW, THAT WAS A
WIG.
>> YES.
>> DID YOU KNOW THAT WAS A WIG?
>> THEY TRIED CURLING MY HAIR
FOR THE FIRST FEW EPISODES.
YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF
EPISODES, THE CURLS ARE STARTING
TO GO.
MY HAIR IS VERY, VERY STRAIGHT.
AND IT DID NOT WORK OUT.
THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE GETTING A
WIG.
A CUSTOM-MADE ELABORATE DO.
AND QUITE PAINFUL TO WEAR.
>> IT LOOKED AMAZING.
>> LOOKED FABULOUS.
>> PERFECT FOR THE PART.
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE
CHARACTERS FOR THE SHOW.
MELISSA GILBERT.
SHE WAS JUST HERE.
DID THE TWO OF YOU FIGHT?
>> YES.
SHE'S MY BABY SISTER.
WE LOVE HER.
>> THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.
NELLIE AND LAURA.
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
DID YOU GET ALONG AT THE TIME?
>> WE DID.
WE BONDED RIGHT AWAY.
SOMETHING ABOUT PLAYING ENEMIES
AND BWHACKING EACH OTHER AROUND.
AS SOON AS WE MET, THERE WAS
CHEMISTRY.
THAT'S WHY "LITTLE HOUSE" WAS SO
GOOD, THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE
CHARACTERS.
WE BONDED.
THAT MADE IT GREAT.
WE KNEW, NOBODY WAS GOING TO GET
HURT.
>> PEOPLE DID GET HURT.
I REFER TO YOU AS THE FAKE
PARALYSIS THAT NELLIE OLESON
PRETENDED TO HAVE.
AND LAURA SHOVED HER DOWN ON THE
WHEE
WHEELCHAIR.
YOU DESERVED THAT.
YOU DESERVED THAT MOMENT.
>> THAT'S MY FAVORITE EPISODE.
>> AND MINE, TOO.
YOU TELL A STORY ABOUT YOUR
BROKEN ARM.
>> YES.
>> IN THE SHOW, NELLIE WAS
FAKING THAT BECAUSE SHE WANTED
ATTENTION.
>> BUT THE ARM, I HAD BEEN
SKATEBOARDING THE WEEK BEFORE.
AND LIKE AN IDIOT, FELL OFF MY
SKATEBOARD.
AND I BROKE MY ARM.
THEY'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT AT
THE TV SHOW.
WE DO THIS EPISODE AND WE HAVE
DOC BAKER PUT A FAKE 1980s CAST
OVER YOUR REAL CAST.
AND DOC BAKER SAYS, YOU CAN USE
YOUR OTHER HAND.
>> MICHAEL LANDON WAS THE
PRODUCER OF THE SHOW, AS WELL AS
PA.
HE HAD A FUNNY LINE TO YOU ABOUT
BREAKING YOUR ARM.
>> HE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO
SHOOT AROUND IT.
HE SIGNED MY CAST.
HE SAID, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO
SKATE BO
SKATEBOARDING AGAIN, RIGHT?
I SAID, NO.
HE SAID, GOOD BECAUSE I'LL BREAK
THE OTHER ARM.
>> LET'S SPEND A MINUTE ON HIM.
I LOVED HIM, OF COURSE, AS A
LITTLE GIRL.
I SAW HIM AS A FATHER FIGURE.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE OLD WHEN PA
STARTS LOOKING HOT.
HE GOES FROM THE FATHER FIGURE
TO SOMEONE YOU WANT TO DATE.
>> HUBBA HUBBA.
>> WHAT WAS HE LIKE ON THE SET?
>> HE'S MORE GORGEOUS IN PERSON.
>> LOOK AT THE CHEST THERE.
>> STUNNING, GORGEOUS MAN.
DEFINITELY THE TASK MASTER.
WE WERE GOING TO GET IT DONE.
SHOWS WERE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND
UNDER BUDGET.
YOU SAW WHAT WE DID.
WE WERE GOING DOWN HILLS IN
WHEELCHAIRS IN THINGS.
HE WAS INCREDIBLE, WRITING THE
SHOW AND PRODUCING THE SHOW AND
DIRECTING THE SHOW.
HE HAD THIS WONDERFULLY WARPED
SENSE OF HUMOR AND LOVED TO
LAUGH AND PLAY PRACTICAL JOKES
AND LAUGH WITH THE KIDS ALL THE
TIME.
WE WORKED HARDER THAN ALMOST ON
ANY OTHER SHOW BUT LAUGHED MORE.
>> YOU HEAR ABOUT HIS PRACTICAL
ONE OF THE ONE YOU WRITE ABOUT
IS SO FUNNY.
IT INVOLVES A FEMALE GUEST STAR
ON
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH ALISON
ARNGRIM, WHO PLAYED NELLIE
OLESON ON "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE
PRAIRIE."
MICHAEL LANDON IS JOKING.
A FEMALE CO-STAR COMES THROUGH.
AND WHAT HAPPENED?
>> AND SHE WAS GOING THROUGH HER
FADS AND SUCH.
HE WAS SAYING, SERIOUSLY.
YOU HAVE SUCH LOVELY SKIN AND
YOU LOOK SO YOUNG.
AND HE SAID, I EAT A CUP OF
BIRDSEED EVERY MORNING BEFORE
BREAKFAST.
AND HE SOLD THIS SO WELL, SHE
WAS ORDERING BAGS OF BIRDSEED.
>> HOW ABOUT HARRIET AND NELS.
WERE THEY NICE PEOPLE?
>> THEY WERE LIKE AN EXTRA SET
OF PARENTS.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT RICHARD BULL
WAS THE MOST LIKE HIS CHARACTER
ON THE SHOW.
HE WAS THE CALM, THE VOICE OF
REASON, THE SENSIBLE ONE.
MELISSA SUE ANDERSON, WHO PLAYED
MARY INGLES.
YOU SAID, THAT BACK IN THE
DAY --
>> BEING ON THE SHOW, WAS JUNIOR
HIGH SCHOOL-AGED GIRLS.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS LIKE AND
THE CLIQUES FORM AND THAT KIND
OF THING.
I ALWAYS SAY IT'S A WONDER WE
DIDN'T KILL EACH OTHER.
THE FACT WE GOT ALONG AS WELL AS
WE DID WAS AMAZING.
I THINK SHE THOUGHT THAT MELISSA
GILBERT AND I WERE JUVENILE
DELINQUENTS.
>> YOU GOT BLOWBACK.
AND YOU EMBRACE THE NELLIE
CHARACTER.
BUT YOU GOT A LOT OF BLOWBACK.
PEOPLE CONFUSED THE REAL YOU FOR
THIS BRAT.
>> YES.
AND STILL.
NO.
AND THEY SAY, I HATED YOU.
AND I SAY, YOU'RE TOO KIND.
THANK YOU.
I'M DOING MY ONE-WOMAN SHOW,
"CONFESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE
B-WORD."
THE ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL.
THURSDAY NIGHT, FRIDAY NIGHT,
SATURDAY.
>> IT'S CALLED ACTING.
>> YOU COME TO THE SHOW, WE HAVE
A QUESTION AND ANSWER SEGMENT IN
THE SHOW.
IT'S STANDUP COMEDY WITH
STORIES.
>> I'M HAVING THAT RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE TO GET SERIOUS WITH YOU
FOR A MINUTE.
YOU'VE GONE ON TO DO GREAT
THINGS.
AND THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU
DEVOTED YOUR LIFE TO, IS
PROTECTING CHILDREN.
CHILDREN OF ABUSE.
CHILDREN OF INCESTUAL ABUSE.
SADLY, AS THERE OFTEN IS,
THERE'S A REASON YOU GOT
INTERESTED IN THAT PARTICULAR
CAUSE.
>> YEAH.
IT'S TRUE.
CURRENTLY, I'M PRESIDENT OF THE
BOARD OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
TO PROTECT CHILDREN.
I WAS PHYSICALLY AND SEXUALLY
ABUSED AS A CHILD.
WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, THAT
BEING NELLIE OLESON WAS HELPFUL.
I WAS SHY AND I WAS BULLIED AT
SCHOOL ON TOP OF EVERYTHING
ELSE.
SUDDENLY, I'M A CHARACTER THAT
EVERYONE IS AFRAID OF.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL FORM OF
PRODUP
PROT
PROTECTION, REALLY.
I HAD A JOB WHEN I COULD SCREAM
AND YELL AND THROW THINGS AND
VENT ALL OF MY ANGER.
AND THE CAST, ALL OF THESE
WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT WERE KIND
AND PROTECTIVE OF ME.
IT WORKED OUT WELL IN MY FAVOR.
>>> NOW, SHE'S DEVOTED HER LIFE
TOWARD IMPROVING STATUTE OF
LIMITATION WHEN IT COMES TO
CHILDREN WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF
INCEST AND SO ON.
>> LOOKING ON SUNSHINE LAWS.
IF YOU'RE VOTING FOR A JUDGE OR
A PROSECUTOR, YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEIR RECORD IS.
BUT WE THINK THAT INFORMATION
SHOULD BE MORE FREELY AVAILABLE
TO PEOPLE.
WE HAVE OUR HERO CORE PROGRAM.
TEACHING PEOPLE TO WORK WITH THE
TASK FORCE.
>> HER WHOLE LIFE SINCE LEAVING
"PRAIRIE."
CAN I SAY ON A PERSONAL NOTE,
THANK YOU FOR HOURS AND HOURS OF
ENTERTAINMENT AND JOY.
IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU.
SO, SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU.