Episode 74 – A Candid Chat With ‘Prairie Man’ Dean Butler About ‘Little House’ & His New Memoir - Part 2

During the second half of Tony’s fascinating conversation with actor Dean Butler they discuss how welcomed he felt his first day on the set of “Little House on the Prairie”, how obviously awkward the 8-year age difference between him and Melissa Gilbert was especially for her since Michael Landon never asked her to give any input on the casting of the actor that would eventually be her husband on the show, the dramatic real story behind Laura and Almanzo’s famous first on-screen kiss, what it was like becoming an instant star, what happened the first time he was recognized in public, his memories of playing Hank Summers on the hit show “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, his work as a produced on a number of 'Little House' related documentaries as well as how much he enjoyed co-executive producing “Pa's Fiddle: The Music of America” in Nashville for PBS, his thoughts about being remembered for his work on 'Little House' for the rest of his life, and how he hopes fans of the show enjoy reading his newly published memoir PRAIRIE MAN: My Little House Life & Beyond.

DEAN BUTLER

Dean Butler is an actor, producer, and director best known for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder on the NBC family drama Little House on the Prairie, which was based on the classic Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He appeared in the final four seasons of the show, the spin-off show Little House: A New Beginning, and the three post-series TV movies. After Little House ended, he played Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin in the TV series The New Gidget and Buffy’s dad, Hank Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Butler was a guest star on various television series, including Murder, She Wrote; Who's the Boss?; The Love Boat; and JAG.He co-starred with the late Gary Coleman in The Kid with the 200 I.Q.. He appeared in the movies Desert Hearts and The Final Goal.

He was a producer for NBC Golf’s Emmy-nominated series Feherty for over ten seasons. He has directed, produced, written, and narrated bonus features for Little House on the Prairie DVD collections. He narrated a six-part documentary, The Little House Phenomenon. And he produced two documentaries, Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura, which drew their inspiration from the Little House books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Additionally, in 2012, Butler co-executive produced Pa's Fiddle: The Music of America for PBS. Dean lives in California with his family.

Dean’s new memoir PRAIRIE MAN: My Little House Life & Beyond was recently published (Pub date: June 25, 2024; HC, $28.00). In it, Dean shares the behind- the-scenes of Little House on the Prairie on a heartfelt journey of “good luck, good television, and the very good if gloriously imperfect—people who made it so.” With a foreword from Melissa Gilbert (Laura) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie), this uplifting memoir follows Butler’s journey from childhood to the Prairie and beyond.

Dean Butler Official Website

https://deanbutler.com/

Little House on the Prairie Website

https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/

Prairie Man: My Little House Life & Beyond Book

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780806543314/prairie-man/

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