Jack Lilley, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ actor, dead at 91
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(Credit: Peacock TV)
American actor Jack Lilley, best known for his work on the western television series Little House on the Prairie, which ran from 1974 to 1983 on NBC, has died at the age of 91. His passing was confirmed by his son, Clint Lilley.
Clint Lilley revealed that his father had passed away “peacefully in his sleep” at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in California on Wednesday, per Fox Digital. The actor has been appearing onscreen since back in the 1950s. His first film role was as an uncredited cowhand in Abner Biberman 1956 western Gun for a Coward.
This role led Lilley to appear in countless further western films, a notable highlight being Mel Brooks’ spoof masterpiece Blazing Saddles. However, it was Lilley’s various appearances in the beloved television series Little House on the Prairie which made him such a recognisable figure within the world of westerns.
The programme follows the stories of the Ingalls family, and their family farm in Minnesota, during the 19th-century. For nearly a decade, the show delighted audiences across the United States, and Lilley appeared in well over 40 episodes.
He played a variety of different characters during his time on the show, most prominently as a stagecoach driver, and he certainly made an impact on the rest of the cast. Shortly after the actor’s passing, Little House on the Prairie actor Melissa Gilbert – who played Laura Ingalls – shared a heartfelt tribute to her former co-star.
Posting on Instagram, the 60-year-old actor wrote, “The Little House family has lost one of our own. Jack Lilley has passed away. He was 91 years old. He also happened to be one of my favourite people on the planet.”
Reflecting on their time together on set, Gilbert continued, “He taught me how to ride a horse when I was just a wee little thing. He was so patient with me.” Summarising the character of the late actor, she concluded, “He never said no when I would bound up to him squealing, ‘Can we go ride? Please, please, please?’”
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