‘Little House on the Prairie’ alum Jack Lilley dead at 91, Melissa Gilbert pays tribute

nypost.com:

Little House on the Prairie” co-star, Melissa Gilbert, 60, penned a touching tribute to Lilley via Instagram.“The little house family has lost one of our own.

Jack Lilley has passed away. He was 91 years old,” Gilbert penned. “He also happened to be one of my favorite people on the planet.”The “Safe Harbour” alum reminisced on her childhood memories with Lilley, writing, “He taught me how to ride a horse when I was just a wee little thing.

He was so patient with me. He never said no when I would bound up to him squealing, ‘Can we go ride? Please, please, please?'”Throughout Lilley’s time on the Western, which ran from 1974 to 1983, the late star played multiple characters.“Aside from being Victor French’s photo double, he was featured prominently in many different roles on ‘Little House.’ You can also see his absolute brilliance in the film ‘Blazing Saddles,'” Gilbert continued.“In 2002 (ish) I had the great pleasure of acting in a Western pilot for ABC, produced by Chris Brancato and Bert Salke, starring my pal, Sean Patrick Flanery, called ‘Then Came Jones.’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, in her very first role, played my daughter).”Although it didn’t get picked up, Gilbert remembers the pilot being “a joy to shoot.”“It was all very synchronistic.

Our first read though was at Paramount Studios, where we had shot ‘Little House’ the first four years,” she shared. “It was also on Halloween, which is Michael Landon’s birthday.