Bonnie Bartlett Reflects On 'Little House' Legacy

Buzz Feed

4 hours ago

Bonnie Bartlett and William Daniels have had incredible careers, portraying some of television's most iconic characters, including Grace Edwards in Little House On The Prairie and Mr. Feeny in Boy Meets World.
Between the recent 50th anniversary of Little House On The Prairie and the launch of William and Bonnie's official merch store, it was a perfect time to catch up with the legendary Bonnie Bartlett-Daniels.
BuzzFeed: I heard you got the part for Grace Edwards the same day that you met Michael Landon. Was that surprising for you?
Bonnie Bartlett: Oh, very surprising. I didn't think it would be that way, and my agent didn't think it would be that way. I don't know what went on in Michael's mind, but we met, and he had a part for me, and you know, that was it.
I always had a soft spot for Grace. She carried herself with such class and such strength. What was it like portraying her character?
Bonnie Bartlett: I had so many older Aunties. I'm from the Midwest. I was born in Wisconsin, and I was raised in Illinois, in a small town. I was constantly surrounded by Aunt this, Aunt that, Grandma this, Grandma that, and they were all great. (The men were not so great, but the women were all great!) It was just natural for me to play those Aunts.
In Grace's first appearance ("Mr. Edwards' Homecoming"), we see Grace and Isaiah's romance blossom. What was your favorite thing about working with Victor French?
Bonnie Bartlett: He kept it so lighthearted, you know? It was fun most of the time. Then later on, it got more serious, and I had to kind of help him to focus, but we just seemed to know what to do with each other. It was similar to when my husband [William Daniels] and I worked together; we just knew what to do. For Little House, Isaiah and Grace kind of just knew what to do.
"Mr. Edwards' Homecoming" was a really sweet episode, full of cute moments. Were there any favorite moments that stick out to you?
Bonnie Bartlett: I remember the time when I had the jug! [Grace drinks from Mr. Edwards' jug, which looks like it has alcohol but really just has water.] I love that part! I don't drink at all — but it was so fun to do that, take that jug and do it like that, you know, the way you're supposed to do it. They showed me how to do that, and that was fun.
Oh yes! I loved it when Mr. Hanson walks in and he sees Grace having a swig from the jug and is horrified — very clever writing!
Bonnie Bartlett: Grace is the postmistress, which was the fun part. She was kind of a prim, middle-aged lady, and was just opening up to how much fun it could be with Isaiah. It was beautifully written, and we had fun doing it.
One of my favorite scenes is when Mr. Edwards proposes to Grace, and they get married. What's something that sticks out to your mind when you think about that moment?
Bonnie Bartlett: What sticks out for me is that at the time, I'm a 45-year-old woman, and Grace is getting married, and that is a very emotional thing. Grace and Isaiah have a physical attraction, which is played down in the show — it's underneath everything, but it is there. That's what makes it interesting, because their physical attraction is beneath everything; it's never recognized. Do you know what I mean? It makes a kind of tension between them. That kind of tension makes it fun.
I had to leave Little House because Victor left. He left the show to do his own sitcom [the show Carter Country ]. The writers had other scripts, but they said to me, "Sorry, but you're out." Victor eventually came back, but by that time, I was onto other things, because Little House was my first job here in California. I was doing all kinds of movies, and I couldn't have gone back, and they moved on to other stuff. I was getting used to California and getting used to doing other things, so I was fine. Soon after came St. Elsewhere!
I've done so many 'movies-of-the-week,' so many parts in different shows — but Little House was probably the most fun of all, and I adored Melissa [Gilbert].
What was Michael Landon like as a director? I heard he ran the set very efficiently.
Bonnie Bartlett: Well, he did something that I didn't like at first. I had to get used to it. He blocked all the technical stuff, not with the actors, but he blocked it with the stand-ins. Then the stand-ins told you what to do physically, and that standard was strange to me. I never had anything like that; I was always in on the very beginning. But he did it like that, and he managed to do it.
I've written a book, and a lot of memories are in the book. One of the things I found out later was sad; I found out a few sad things that I didn't know. When we would sit down for lunch, Michael was always there. He was always kind of wandering around. He was like a shepherd taking care of his flock, but he never sat down and ate anything. He just drank something, and I didn't know — I thought it was coffee or something. It turns out that it was vodka, and Michael drank much too much, and so did Victor. I'm extremely concerned about what that does to people, how it shortens people's lives, and it's sad. That's the sad part of Little House, that those two men, these two wonderful guys, both went very early.
Michael only wanted to help people. Of course, he wanted to be successful, but it really meant something to him to have a positive effect on people. It meant something to him very much.
Your husband, William Daniels, also inspired my generation with his role as Mr. Feeny in Boy Meets World. What has it been like to meet all the Boy Meets World and Little House fans at conventions?
Bonnie Bartlett: I love it. They're very different people. My fans are older women, and they related to Little House. So mostly, my fans will be sweet, very sweet, older women. William's fans are younger. An incredible amount of people watch Boy Meets World, and love Mr. Feeny, and they ask him for advice. Billy [William] does the best he can. My son helps him, and William does his best to be positive. He's very proud of the fact that so many people have been inspired to become teachers. He really thinks that's a great thing to do for your country, for your people. We need good educators.
ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content / Via Getty Images
I also wanted to bring up your role in The Golden Girls, where you portrayed the infamous Barbaba Thorndyke!
Bonnie Bartlett: Bea [Arthur] and I were actually friends in New York, and we had no idea that episode would be so popular. I think it's one of their most popular episodes. Barbara Thorndyke — I knew she was awful, but I didn't think she was such a villain. It has been a surprise to me just how much people responded to Barbara.
[Check out the Barbara Thorndyke T-shirt on William and Bonnie's website, featuring Dorothy's iconic quote, "Go To Hell!"]
Her character has truly become an iconic Golden Girls villain! Betty White also did a fantastic job in that episode. Do you have any favorite memories of working with her?
Bonnie Bartlett: One of my favorite things that happened, and I think this was before I did Golden Girls, was that we were at some kind of an event. My mother was in town, and so my mother went with us, and Betty White sat with us. My mother was not a demonstrative person, but she was so thrilled to be sitting there with Betty White. And it just happened — you can't plan these things!
You and William have had such incredible careers. Do you have any wisdom you would like to share with my generation?
Bonnie Bartlett: All I can say is, keep exercising, don't drink, don't smoke. Take care of yourself first, and I don't mean being selfish, I just mean take care of your mind, take care of your body. It's a tough world out there. I feel great sympathy for the younger people who are trying to navigate our business. It's hard, and it's also hard for middle-aged people. So I can only say for the young people, you know, you gotta get out there, take care of yourself, and find out what you want to do. That's really important, to make a living at something that you like to do, but still make a living.
I think the character of Grace Edwards would agree with you completely.
Bonnie Bartlett: Yes, I think she would!
Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing stories of your incredible career and the words of wisdom! Check out Bonnie and William's official website for autographed pictures, books, T-shirts, and more!
Autographed copies of Bonnie's autobiography, Middle of the Rainbow, are available.