What is Melissa Gilbert's Net Worth and Salary?
Melissa Gilbert is an American actress and director who has a net worth of $500 thousand. That is a combined net worth with her husband since 2013, fellow actor Timothy Busfield. Melissa Gilbert has struggled financially and personally in recent years. She has experienced tax issues resulting from a cooling career and a costly divorce. More info on these issues later in the article below.
Early Life
Melissa Gilbert was born on May 8, 1964 in Los Angeles, California to David and Kathy. Immediately following her birth, she was given up for adoption; one day later, she was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert and his wife, actress Barbara Crane. When Gilbert was eight years old, her adoptive parents divorced. Her mother subsequently wed Harold Abeles, with whom she had a daughter named Sara. Gilbert also has a brother named Jonathan who was adopted by her parents. When Gilbert was 11, her adoptive father passed away by suicide. Later, her mother and stepfather divorced.
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Beginning her career as a child actress in the late 60s, Gilbert appeared in numerous television commercials. In 1968, she made an appearance in the Christmas episode of "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour." Gilbert returned to television in the early 70s with appearances on such shows as "Gunsmoke," "Emergency!," and "Tenafly."
"Little House on the Prairie"
In 1974, Gilbert landed her breakthrough role on the NBC historical drama series "Little House on the Prairie," based on the "Little House" book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. On the show, Gilbert starred as Laura, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls, played by Michael Landon, and Caroline Ingalls, played by Karen Grassle. Her siblings on the show were played by Melissa Sue Anderson and Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush. For her role as Laura, Gilbert beat out more than 500 other child actresses. "Little House on the Prairie" was a great success, running through 1982. There was also a sequel series called "Little House: A New Beginning" that aired afterward, concluding in 1983, as well as a handful of subsequent "Little House" television films.
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During her years on "Little House on the Prairie," Gilbert appeared in a number of television films. In the late 70s, she was in "Christmas Miracle in Caulfield, U.S.A." and an adaptation of "The Miracle Worker," in which she portrayed Helen Keller. For her performance as Keller, she earned an Emmy Award nomination. Early in the 80s, Gilbert portrayed Anne Frank in an adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank." She also starred in a television remake of "Splendor in the Grass," and played missionary Jean Donovan in "Choices of the Heart." Over the remainder of the 80s, Gilbert starred in the television films "Family Secrets," "Choices," "Penalty Phase," "Killer Instinct," and "Chameleons."
Film Career
Gilbert made her feature film debut in the 1967 comedy "The Reluctant Astronaut," starring Don Knotts. She didn't appear on the big screen again until 1985, when she starred as a young horse trainer in the family drama "Sylvester." Gilbert has not worked much on film since then; her few credits have included the direct-to-video romance "Safe Harbour" and the drama "Guest Artist." In 2019, Gilbert appeared in "When We Last Spoke."
SAG President
Following a heated candidacy in 2001, Gilbert was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild, beating Valerie Harper. She was reelected in 2003, beating Kent McCord. Gilbert subsequently chose not to seek a third term.
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In the summer of 2015, Gilbert announced her candidacy for the US House of Representatives, running for Michigan's 8th congressional district. However, despite winning the primary and becoming the district's presumptive Democratic nominee, she suspended her campaign in the spring of 2016 due to health issues.
Personal Life
Gilbert was engaged to actor Rob Lowe in the 80s; however, the two ultimately broke it off. She next dated actor Bo Brinkman, whom she married in 1988. The couple had a son named Dakota before divorcing in 1992. Shortly after this, Gilbert began a relationship with actor and author Bruce Boxleitner, whose former wife set the two up. Incidentally, they had met on "Battle of the Network Stars" when Gilbert was a teenager. After getting engaged twice and breaking them off both times, Gilbert and Boxleitner finally got married in 1995. They had a son named Michael, and eventually divorced in 2011. She has been married to actor Timothy Busfield since 2013.
Tax Issues
In June 2015, it was revealed that Melissa Gilbert reportedly owed $360,000 in federal income taxes. She reportedly worked out a payment plan with the IRS. This was her second run-in with the IRS. She reportedly owed $112,000 in 2013. Gilbert released the following statement to explain her financial problem:
Unlock the Riches: Dive Into Charlie McDowell's Surprising Net Worth Journey!"Like so many people across the nation, the recession hit me hard. That, plus a divorce and a death of acting opportunities the last few years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me." – Melissa Gilbert
Real Estate
In 2014, Melissa Gilbert listed her Tarzana home in Los Angeles for $1.195 million.
In 2019, Melissa and Timothy paid $98,000 for a 14-acre property in New York's Catskill mountains, roughly 20 minutes from Woodstock. This is the current primary residence. They also lived in Howell, Michigan, before moving to New York City in late 2018.
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