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Melissa Gilbert mourned the death of her Little House on the Prairie costar, Jack Lilley, with a touching tribute shared online. Lilly passed away on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, as confirmed by his son, Clint Lilley, on March 20. The actor and stuntman was 91, although his family didn't share the details surrounding his passing online.
On Friday, March 21, Gilbert shared a tribute to her late costar on her Instagram. Alongside a series of photos of the actor, she recalled working with Lilly, whom she considered one of her "favorite people on the planet." Recounting working on the set of ABC's Then Came Jones with Lilley, she said:
"Then I walked to the set itself and before I could even focus I heard a familiar voice holler, 'Hey Halfpint, you old rat-a**!!!' 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."
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Although they briefly worked together in the series Gunsmoke, where Gilbert appeared in a minor role, the two would later star in Little House on the Prairie. Jack Lilley played various roles in Little House on the Prairie, including a man named Homer Bjorgsen, but mostly unnamed characters, acting as a stage driver or a wagon or carriage driver.
Melissa Gilbert further recalled about the actor:
"Jack always felt like home to me. He lived quite a life. I am so lucky that he was my friend."
A look at Jack Lilley's career amid his recent passing
Jack Lilley's career in Hollywood spans decades, and he's worked in front and at the back of the camera. He was an actor and stuntman, and some of his projects as a stunt person or stunt coordinator include Little House on the Prairie, The Mountain Men, Father Murphy, and Sudden Impact.
He also worked as Paul Picerni's stunt double in the 1967 TV series Gunsmoke. He also starred in various unnamed roles as a bandit, dog soldier, trooper, and special deputy, among others, in the show.
Jack Lilley has over 80 acting credits for both films and TV shows, although his appearances were mostly for unnamed roles. That said, he also portrayed the character of Jory in the 1988 Western movie Bonanza: The Next Generation, where he worked with Robert Fuller, John Ireland, and more. He also starred in another Western feature, Gambler V: Playing for Keeps, as Frisco and the Sheriff in Everything That Rises.
Jack Lilley's acting career continued into the 2000s. He played Vincent Meadows in the 2001 crime drama The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud by Paul Winters. He also appeared in TV films The Master of My Life as Kevin Decler and in The Last Cowboy as Fuller. Per his IMDb page, his last acting credit was in 2022 in the Western movie No Name and Dynamite Davenport.
Besides acting, Jack Lilley also left a legacy in his career as a wrangler and animal trainer. Among his credits include the head horse wrangler in Planet of the Apes and as a horse wrangler in dozens of TV movies like Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses, Love's Unending Legacy, and Don Quixote.
Per his son's Instagram post, they will share details about a service to celebrate Jack Lilley's life at a later date.
