NBCU Photo Bank; Melissa Gilbert/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
Melissa Gilbert recently reunited with her on-screen sibling, Melissa Sue Gilbert
The pair starred in Little House on the Prairie, though both have since alluded to their distant off-screen dynamic
Gilbert shared a photo of the reunion in a Dec. 27 Instagram post, explaining that they have "the past" behind them
Melissa Gilbertreunited with herLittle House on the Prairiebig sister,Melissa Sue Anderson,and said they are putting "the past" behind them.
On Saturday, Dec. 27, Gilbert shared a group photo on Instagram taken backstage at her off-Broadway show,Pen Pals.
The image featured Gilbert and Anderson alongside Gilbert's current costar, Veanne Cox, as well as legendary stage actress Betty Buckley. In the caption, Gilbert revealed she had been "keeping a secret close to my heart for a while now" — namely, that she and Anderson, who have both since said they were not close while filming of the hit series, have since reconnected.
"Worlds collide. Blessings abound. Hearts heal and reunite. Magic happens. Last night after@penpalsplaymy genius costar@veannecoxhad a surprise in the audience. Boy am I glad I didn't know in advance that the remarkable@blbuckleywas there," Gilbert, 61, began.
She continued, "But I had a secret of my own. One I've been keeping close to my heart for a while now. Reconnection with a sister. Long, healing talks. Lots of reminiscing. Lots of catching up. Lots of laughter and a few tears."
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"I'm so happy to have Melissa Anderson back in my life. We share such an important history that no one else on earth truly understands. Just us Ingalls girls. The best part is, the past is now just that and we can move forward as the sisters/friends we always wanted to be. What a wonderful Christmas gift.#littlehouseontheprairie#ingallsgirls#sisters#friends#happy@officialmodernprairie@lhprairie," she concluded.
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Gilbert and Anderson, 63, played sisters Laura and Mary Ingalls on the beloved NBC show, which ran from 1974 to 1983. While their on-screen counterparts shared a warm and loving relationship, both actresses have since said that their real-life relationship was polite but distant.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty
In her 2009 memoir,A Prairie Tale, Gilbert shared that the pair had a complex dynamic while filming, shaped by their different personalities and ages, and that it often felt more professional than personal.
She has also said that Anderson could be "tough" on her, both on- and off-screen.
"Melissa Sue Anderson was the boss of me," she said in afilmed interviewabout her time on the show." She took that absolutely seriously. She was two years older than me, which, you know, when you're nine and 11 is a big deal … She was tough. I mean both off and on camera, but on camera especially."
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In a March 2010 interview withThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution,Anderson shared that she and Gilbert were "very, very different."
"I honestly do not have a lot of memories of the two of us," she said.
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