Jonathan Gilbert
Jonathan J. Gilbert (born April 28, 1967) is an American former television and film actor known for his role as Willie Oleson on the TV series Little House on the Prairie.
Jonathan Gilbert | |
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| Born | Jonathan J. Gilbert April 28, 1967 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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Personal life
Gilbert was born on April 28, 1967.[1] He is the adopted son of actors Barbara Cowen (née Barbara Crane) and Paul Gilbert and adopted brother of Melissa Gilbert and adopted brother of Sara Gilbert.[2]
In Melissa Gilbert's 2010 autobiography, Prairie Tale, she said Paul killed himself in 1976 due to his suffering from constant pain.[3] Barbara then married Harold Abeles, and together they had Sara Abeles, who changed her name to Sara Gilbert, even though she has no relation to Paul.
In Melissa Gilbert's autobiography, she wrote that when Jonathan was in his early 20s, he moved away from California and she had no relationship with him since then, for reasons supposedly unknown to her. Her autobiography states that he is a stockbroker living in New York City.[4]
Acting career
Gilbert is best known for his performance as Willie Oleson on the NBC TV series, Little House on the Prairie, from 1974 to 1983. He is also one of only six actors on Little House on the Prairie to appear throughout the entire series, along with Melissa Gilbert, Katherine MacGregor, Richard Bull, Kevin Hagen, and Dabbs Greer. In 1979, Gilbert was in the made-for-television movie The Little House Years also as Willie Oleson. Also in 1979, he was in the made-for-TV-Movie The Miracle Worker as Jimmy.[5]
He was in two out of the three made-for-television movies based on the Little House on the Prairie series of books (Little House: Look Back to Yesterday and Little House: The Last Farewell).[6][7]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–1983 | Little House on the Prairie | Willie Oleson | Recurring role |
| 1979 | The Little House Years | Television film and archive footage | |
| The Miracle Worker | Jimmy | Television film[5] | |
| 1983 | Little House: Look Back to Yesterday | Willie Oleson | Television film |
| 1984 | Little House: The Last Farewell | Television film[8] | |
References
- "California Birth Index, 1905-1995". Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Los Angeles County, California: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- Davis 2009, p. 20.
- Gilbert 2010, p. 114.
- Gilbert 2010.
- "The Miracle Worker". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (TV Movie 1983)". Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- "Little House: The Last Farewell (TV Movie 1984)". Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- Democrat and Chronicle Staff 1996, p. 44.
Sources
- Gilbert, Melissa (2010). Prairie Tale: A Memoir (1st ed.). New York City: Gallery Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-1416599173.
- Davis, Patti (2009). The Lives Our Mothers Leave Us: Prominent Women Discuss the Complex, Humorous, and Ultimately Loving Relationships They Have with Their Mothers. Carlsbad, California: Hay House. p. 20. ISBN 978-1401921620.
- Democrat and Chronicle Staff (June 30, 1996). "TCM Little House: The Last Farewell". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York: Gannett Company. p. 44. Retrieved September 10, 2016. (subscription required)