One the stars from iconic TV series Little House On The Prairie has died.
The show’s main star Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder, shared the sad news on Friday.
‘The little house family has lost one of our own. Jack Lilley has passed away. He was 91 years old,’ the actress said in an emotional Instagram post.
Lilley played a stagecoach driver on the show because he was good at handling horses, but also took on other roles, including being Victor French’s photo double, as well as playing a wagon driver and regular town person.
Lilly also had roles on popular TV series such as Lawman, Gunsmoke, Dallas and Fantasy Island.
‘He also happened to be one of my favorite people on the planet,’ added 60-year-old Gilbert.
‘He taught me how to ride a horse when I was just a wee little thing. He was so patient with me. He never said no when I would bound up to him squealing, ‘Can we go ride? Please, please, please?”
Little House On The Prairie aired from 1974 until 1983 and starred Michael Landon, Karen Grassle and Melissa Sue Anderson in the main roles.
Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series of Little House books, this drama series revolved around the 1870s adventures of the Ingalls family who owned a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
An actor from the popular TV series Little House On The Prairie has died. The show’s main star Melissa Gilbert shared the news on Instagram on Friday morning
Lilly’s seven decade career in Hollywood included a ‘brilliance’ in film Blazing Saddles, Melissa noted.
In her tribute, Melissa reminisced about working with Lilly in 2002 – decades after Little House had ended.
‘I had the great pleasure of acting in a western pilot for ABC, produced by Chris Brancato and Bert Salke, starring my pal, Sean Patrick Flanery, called Then Came Jones. (Mary Elizabeth Winstead , in her very first role, played my daughter.)
‘It was a joy to shoot and I was so bummed when it didn’t get picked up,’ she added.
‘It was all very synchronistic. Our first read though was at Paramount Studios, where we had shot Little House the first four years. It was also on Halloween, which is Michael Landon’s birthday. That day, I also found out we would be shooting at Big Sky Ranch, where we had shot little house.
‘My first day on set was surreal , getting my hair and makeup done, getting dressed, laced into my corset, boots etc. Such a strange deja vu,’ Gilbert added.
‘Then I walked to the set itself and before I could even focus I heard a familiar voice holler, ‘Hey Halfpint, you old rat-ass!!!”
Melissa continued: ‘It was Jack. He was our wrangler for that pilot and by his side was Denny Allen, who had been our wrangler on Little House. In that instant, I knew I was home.’
Jack played a stagecoach driver on the show because he was good at handling horses
Here Jack was seen with one of the leads of the show, Karen Grassle, who played Caroline Ingalls
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Melissa added that Jack always felt like ‘home’ to her.
‘He lived quite a life. I am so lucky that he was my friend. All my love and prayers go out to his family and especially Clint (Burkey) Lilley. @stuntbagdrag
‘Oh Jack….sweet prince…may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
‘Love always, Your Halfpint.’
Jack got his start as an actor in 1956 by playing a cowhand in Gun For A Coward.
He went on to have small, uncredited roles in Drango, Fury At Showdown, The Hard Man, Wagon Train, Ride A Crooked Trail, Cimarron City and Lawman.
The stunt person also popped up on The Tall Man, Zorro and Bronco.
Starting in 1965, he appeared in three episodes of The Big Valley then he was seen on Family Affair and The Wild Wild West.
‘The little house family has lost one of our own. Jack Lilley has passed away . He was 91 years old,’ said the actress. He played a stagecoach and wagon driver on the series
‘My first day on set was surreal , getting my hair and makeup done, getting dressed, laced into my corset, boots etc. Such a strange deja vu. ‘Then I walked to the set itself and before I could even focus I heard a familiar voice holler, ‘Hey Halfpint, you old rat-ass!!!” she said of Jack
Here the star is seen today
In 1967 he began working as a ranch hand on The High Chaparral and ended up doing 15 episodes.
On Bonanza he played a juror, a brawler and a barfly for 13 episodes from 1961 until 1972. He made an impression in 1974’s Blazing Saddles as an overseer.
The versatile actor found success on Gunsmoke as he landed 27 episodes on the popular series playing various small characters like a special deputy, a brawler and a townsman.
Appearances on Dallas and Fantasy Island followed.
Little House on The Prairie star Michael Landon liked Jack so much he cast him on his next series Highway To Heaven in 1985.
In the 1990s, Jack could be seen in the movies Hard Promises in 1991, Washington Square in 1997 and in the TV series The Magnificent Seven in 1998. In 2001, the star played Vincent Meadows in The Homecoming Of Jimmy Whitecloud.
His last role was as Jack in the 2022 movie No Name And Dynamite Davenport.