Melissa Gilbert, who captivated audiences across the country as Laura Ingalls Wilder in “Little House on the Prairie.” I knew when it was time to leave Los Angeles.
The former child star, who grew up in the spotlight, became a familiar face in Hollywood during the ’80s by dating heartthrobs like Rob Lowe and Billy Idol. At the age of 47, he competed on “Dancing with the Stars”.
However, over the years, the actress has found herself obsessed with wanting to look younger. Today a 60 year old man has a lifestyle brand, modern prairieThe aim of which is to uplift older women, irrespective of their age.
“I looked at myself in the mirror several years ago,” Gilbert recalled to Fox News Digital. “I was living in Los Angeles, and I didn’t recognize who I was. I had overfilled my face and lips. My head did not move. I was still dyeing my hair red. I was driving a Mustang convertible. I was a size two in an unhealthy way. I looked like a frozen version of my younger self, and I wasn’t like that.”
“I was stuck,” Gilbert admitted. “I could feel myself fighting it. And I said to myself, ‘It’s time to grow old.’ I had to leave Los Angeles to do this – not Hollywood – specifically Los Angeles.
Gilbert said she and her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, moved to her home state of Michigan after their marriage in 2013.
He stayed there for five years. he felt finally free to age,
“I stopped coloring my hair,” she explained. “I had [my] Breast implants were removed. I decided to become the best, healthiest version of myself without the pressure to look a certain way and it paid off in a big way.
“I finally found my feet as a woman, 100 percent solid in my knowledge, in my accomplishments. Everything became easy. And a bonus? I have a lot of free time other than staring in the mirror, sitting in the dermatologist’s chair, or sitting in the hair chair.
Gilbert also credited her “dear husband” for encouraging her to embrace the aging process.
“I think as I’ve gotten older, we’ve fallen more in love with each other, which is an extraordinary gift,” she said. “And I think that’s for a number of reasons. I think for her, I’m more myself and a lot more comfortable in my own skin because I’m going through menopause because I’m at this age.”
“I love that we’re together at this point in our lives,” she said.
In 2019, Gilbert and Busfield purchased a rustic cottage on 14 acres in the Catskill Mountains. Life today, he said, is “incredibly gratifying.”
“That’s remarkable,” Gilbert gushed. “I love being at this age. There are some things about it that aren’t very funny. I don’t like it when my heels hurt in the morning or my skin becomes dry. Aging isn’t for sissies, but it’s certainly better than the alternative. And I’ve never felt better in my own skin.”
“I have nine extraordinary grandchildren,” he shared. “I spend my days communicating with and supporting the Modern Prairie community. I am very creative in manufacturing these products and growing this company.
Gilbert said the goal of Modern Prairie is to “support each other as we are experiencing all the incredible changes both physically and emotionally at this stage in our lives.”
Just in time for November – Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month – Modern Prairie is kicking off A special collection featuring purpleThe official color of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness. Gilbert told the outlet that all proceeds from the collection will support pancan,
It’s a cause that hits close to home for Gilbert. Michael Landon, who played patriarch Charles Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie,” was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. He died in 1991, three months after publicly announcing his diagnosis.
Gilbert’s longtime friend Patrick Swayze also died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 at the age of 57.
While not spreading awareness about the disease, Gilbert is still pursuing her love for acting. She recently joined the cast of Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart” and is currently involved in another project in development at Lifetime.
“It never ends, and I’m having the time of my life,” Gilbert said. “I have to say that I don’t think I’ll ever have ‘Half Pint’ out of me. That little sassy, courageous, spirited girl is still there and she’s the driving force behind everything I do. Sometimes she’s the one who drives me Gets into a little trouble, but that never goes away. I have a young spirit, but a wise old mind.
