Jack Lilley DV 'Little House on the Prairie' sadly passed away at nursing home

Lilley - who played the role of a stagecoach driver and many other extras throughout nine seasons of the show - passed away in his sleep at the Motion Picture & Television Fund nursing home in California on March 20.

Actress Melissa Gilbert - who played Laura Ingalls in the classic series "Little House on the Prairie" - has just shared an emotional tribute on Instagram after hearing the news of her veteran co-star Jack Lilley's deat.h at the ag.e of 91.

Lilley, who played the stagecoach driver and other extras throughout nine seasons of the show, died in his sleep at the Motion Picture & Television Fund nursing home in California on March 20. His son, Clint Lilley, told Fox News that his father was "one of a kind" and had seen many changes in Hollywood during his more than 70 years in the film industry.

"Our little family has lost a loved one," Melissa wrote. "He taught me to ride when I was a chil.d. He was always patient, never saying no to me when I ran up to him and begged, 'Can we ride? Please, please, please?'"

Gilbert also recalled her time working with Lilley on the Western Then Came Jones, starring alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead. "I was so excited to be shootin.g at Big Sky Ranch, where Little House was filmed. And as I was walking to the set, I heard a familiar voice say, 'Hey Halfpint, you old bastard!' - and I knew I was really home," she said.

Gilbert ended his tribute with a touching farewell: "Oh Jack... sweet prince... May the angels' flights sing you to your rest. Love you forever, your Halfpint."

The post received hundreds of comments from fans of the show. Most fans said they recognized Jack Clint, even though he wasn't part of the main cast, and were impressed by his horse-drawn carriage scenes. They also recalled other scenes where he played villagers. According to Entertainment Weekly, Jack Lilley appeared in 35 episodes over nine seasons.

Some accounts paid tribute to Lilley's quiet contributions, suggesting that he was also instrumental in the project's success. Many fans thanked Gilbert for informing them about the actor, calling her post "a loving tribute to the industry's unsung hero."

Jack Lilley was born in 1931 in Texas and moved to Los Angeles at a young ag.e to facilitate his family's business - his father rented horses to film studios. He was introduced to film at the ag.e of 14, making his debut in the Durango Kid series. He then continued to work on film projects, big and small, as an extra, stuntman, coordinator and horse trainer.

Lilley has appeared in more than 280 films, has worked on many classic television shows such as "Gunsmoke", "Wagon Train", "Lawman" and was Billy Crystal's horse trainer in "City Slickers" (1991). He is also the founder of Movin' On Livestock, a company that supplies animals and props to film crews. He married in 1957, and his wife died in May 2024 at the ag.e of 95. The couple has three sons and five grandchildren.

"Little House on the Prairie" is a famous television series adapted from the book series of the same name by writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, telling the story of the simple but challenging life of a rural American family in the late 19th century. The series lasted from 1974 to 1983, with a total of 204 episodes, and was the childhood of many generations of audiences around the world - including Vietnam.

According to Nielsen, the series is still a big draw, with 13.25 billion minutes watched on Peacock alone in 2024. Names like Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, and especially Melissa Gilbert - Jack Lilley's beloved "Halfpint" - will live on in the hearts of fans through the series.

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