‘Little House on the Prairie’: Karen Grassle Thought This Ma Storyline Would ‘Ruin’ Her Career

Michelle Stein
Karen Grassle as Ma in 'Little House on the Prairie'
Everett Collection

What To Know

  • Karen Grassle, who played Caroline “Ma” Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, feared a Season 7 storyline about Ma’s menopause would “ruin” her career.
  • Grassle struggled with the script, which depicted Ma feeling a loss of purpose after learning she was not pregnant but entering menopause.
  • Despite her concerns, the show continued its success and remains available for streaming on several platforms, including HBO Max and Prime Video.

Little House on the Prairie actress Karen Grassle thought one storyline featuring her character, Caroline “Ma” Ingalls, would “ruin” her career.

On December 12, Grassle, 83, attended the Little House on the Prairie Final 50th Anniversary Reunion in Simi Valley, California. There, she opened up about Season 7, Episode 20 titled “I Do, Again.”

The episode features Ma believing that she and her daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder (Melissa Gilbert), are both pregnant. However, a doctor later confirms that Ma is starting menopause and is not expecting a baby.

“They wrote that Ma stopped having her period and she thought she was pregnant, and then they wrote that, no, no, she’s going through menopause,” Grassle recalled at the event, per People. “And I was like, give me a break.”
She added, “They wrote that my purpose in life was going away, and I was like, ‘No! No!’ It’s a wonderful thing to give birth, but give me a break.”
'Little House on the Prairie' cast

Everett Collection

Grassle admitted that she feared the plot would  “ruin my career.”

In the LHOTP episode, Ma struggles to accept that the childbearing phase of her life is over for good and feels a loss of purpose. Her husband, Charles “Pa” Ingalls (Michael Landon), and her children, however, strive to convince her otherwise.

“We’re not supposed to judge our character. [We’re] supposed to live within the character,” she said of acting. “Even if the person was a murderer, you would try to bring yourself into who they are.”

Grassle further confessed, “It was very hard for me to bring myself my whole self to the scene. I never did feel I did a good job.”

Ultimately, Grassle’s worries were unwarrented, as Caroline Ingalls remains a beloved character today and fans continue to rewatch the historical drama series.

Little House on the Prairie aired for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983.

Little House on the Prairie, streaming on HBO Max, Prime Video, Philo, and FRNDLY TV

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Little House on the PrairieKaren GrassleMelissa Gilbert