Alison Arngrim, known for her iconic role as Nellie Oleson in the original "Little House on the Prairie" series, has returned to the franchise with a surprise appearance in the new Netflix reboot. The actress, 64, features in the second episode of the revival, playing a new character named Ida.
Arngrim's character, Ida, is described as a "crazy lady" encountered by the Ingalls girls while they search for John Edwards. Unlike her former blonde ringlets and pastel bonnets as Nellie Oleson, Arngrim's Ida sports a disheveled appearance, complete with rotting teeth and dirt on her face, reflecting a life as a frontier drifter.
"I got a phone call: 'What are you doing in a week and a half? Could you come to Winnipeg? There's this character, we want it to be you,'" Arngrim told Tudum about her casting. She described Ida as "basically a crazy lady in the woods" and "sort of a forest drifter with drifter friends."
In the episode, Ida and her group of frontier women claim to know Edwards' whereabouts. When Laura Ingalls, played by Alice Halsey, senses danger and attempts to flee, Ida grabs her, prompting Laura to bite her arm.
Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson across 104 episodes from 1974 to 1982, reflected on the distinct costuming differences between the original series and the reboot. "On our show in 1974, we didn’t really do corsets. We had some authentic stuff – little camisoles, bloomers – but on this show, it’s the slip, and then the corset goes over the slip, full corseting, full costuming. I was in heaven. I love this stuff," she said.
The makeup for Ida was also a significant departure from her previous role. "They proceeded to make me look like I took much less care of myself than I actually do," Arngrim explained. "They painted my teeth and made them look horrible. They painted my nails to look disgusting, filthy, and diseased. All my beautiful nails, my beautiful teeth, my beautiful skin – out the window."
She added that the appearance was fitting for the 1800s setting and the character's background. "People are out in the sun; there’s no sunblock, and this woman clearly is a hard case. She’s been drinking, living in the forest, and not hydrated. She’s rough."
Arngrim's portrayal of the villainous Nellie Oleson made her a recognizable figure, and she noted the lasting impact of the character. "The trick is, if you do it right, everyone will hate you; and if you really do it right, they’ll eventually love you," she said of her iconic role. "I was clearly the villain. I was awful. I was terrible to Laura and everyone... and yet people talk about me as iconic and say they love Nellie."
The actress had previously expressed openness to participating in a "Little House on the Prairie" reboot. "I have been joking for years that I'm finally old enough to play Mrs. Oleson, so call me," she stated in February.
The "Little House on the Prairie" reboot is available on Netflix.