Charlotte Stewart Looks Back At Her Unforgettable “Little House” Role

BuzzFeed: Can you tell me about your audition for Little House?

Charlotte Stewart: In those days, I did a lot of television. I did shows like Gunsmoke and Medical Center, and it was just another interview. I didn’t know it was a series. But when I walked in the door, I saw Michael Landon sitting there, and that was a shock. I had worked on Bonanza, but I didn’t work with Mike, and I didn’t know he was doing a series. I didn’t know anything. I thought it was just another interview for another Western. So it was a shock, but it was an easy interview.

I showed up in my jeans and my tie-dye t-shirt. There had to be about 9 or 10 men in the room — no women. It was before they had a woman casting director. So it’s this big room, everybody in folding chairs, and they asked, “Are you ready to read?” I asked the producer, “Can I sit behind your desk?”

He looked at Mike and all the guys, and said, “Sure, okay.” So he gets up, and I go sit down at his desk. They’re all looking around, and asking each other, “Well, what do you think?” and I went, “Silence!”

That’s amazing! You definitely embodied a schoolteacher very quickly with that.

Charlotte Stewart: I’m pretty sure it got me the part!