‘Little House on the Prairie’ Megastar Joins ‘When Calls the Heart’

A major star is joining the cast of “When Calls the Heart,” Hallmark announced during the 2024 Hearties Family Reunion. Melissa Gilbert, who portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder on “Little House on the Prairie,” will debut her new role during season 12.

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Melissa Gilbert Said the Majority of Her Scenes ‘Are With Jack’

According to a press release sent to Heavy, Melissa Gilbert is going to star in a special two-episode arc during season 12 of “When Calls the Heart.”

She’ll play the role of Georgie McGill, a character who shares a “surprising past” with one of the residents of Hope Valley, Hallmark’s press release shared.

During her panel interview at the Hearties reunion event, Gilbert gave a big hint about her character’s role on the show.

“The majority of my scenes are with Jack,” she said.

Gilbert was likely referring to Jack Wagner, who plays the role of Bill Avery on the series, rather than Jack Thornton, played by Daniel Lissing, who died on the show.

Although Jack Thornton was mentioned in a season 11 cliffhanger, the episode’s showrunner put rumors about Lissing returning to rest.

Gilbert starred in “Little House on the Prairie,” and it was Michael Landon, Jr., an executive producer for “When Calls the Heart,” who brought her on for season 12 in Hope Valley.

In the Hearties reunion panel, Landon Jr. said he had learned that about one out of every five “Little House on the Prairie” fans love to watch “When Calls the Heart.” But he wanted to make that five out five, since the shows are similar in so many ways.

“What could we do that could bring those ‘Little House’ fans to ‘When Calls the Heart’?” he said. “And I thought well, maybe what we need to do, is bring one of the stars of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ to ‘When Calls the Heart.’ … I’d like to introduce you to Melissa Gilbert!”

In the video above, you can hear the audience gasping in excitement over the news, followed by loud cheers.

Kelly Garrett, VP, Programming, Hallmark Media, said in a press statement: “When Calls the Heart has long drawn comparisons to Little House on the Prairie, for its charming and compelling stories of hope, human connection and frontier survival. It was only fitting that the first people to hear this special news were the Hearties – devoted fans who have celebrated the show year after year and made it such a success. The energy being here with them to share this news is electric and we cannot wait for them to meet Georgie next year.” 

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‘I’m So Excited,’ Gilbert Told the Hearties

When Gilbert was announced, someone in the audience screamed, “I love you Melissa!”

“I’m so excited to be here,” Gilbert said during the panel.

Landon Jr. talked about how impactful “When Calls the Heart” has been on fans. As an example, he talked about how one fan broke her wrist and two fans she’d never met before drove her to get her arm fixed.

“This is the community,” Landon Jr. said, asking Gilbert if “Little House on the Prairie” was similar. Gilbert agreed that the fandoms are similar in how they care for one another, adding that “Bonnetheads” (the name for “Little House on the Prairie” fans) are now multi-generational.

During the interview, Gilbert commented on the “overall sense of family” that was on the set of “Little House on the Prairie.” She said that today she tries to infuse that into her current work. Landon Jr.’s father, Michael Landon, was key in creating the family atmosphere, she shared.

Gilbert’s role was announced during the annual Hearties Family Reunion that takes place in Canada.

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