Who did Shannen Doherty play in Little House on the Prairie? Actress shares how co-star Michael Landon “spurred” her passion for acting

Veteran actress Shannen Doherty recently opened up about how her Little House on the Prairie co-star Michael Landon "spurred" her passion for acting. During the Monday, May 27, episode of her Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty podcast, the actress reminisced about how much of a mentor Michael Landon was for her and his impact on her Hollywood career.

Shannon Doherty played the character of Jenny Wilder in the 9th and final season of Little House on the Prairie. Wilder was the niece and adoptive daughter of Dean Butler's Almanzo James Wilder and Melissa Gilbert's Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder. Meanwhile, Michael Landon portrayed Charles Phillip Ingalls, Laura's father and the family's patriarch.

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Shannen Doherty played Jenny Wilder in Little House on the Prairie

The Little House on the Prairie television series, based on Laura Elizabeth Ingalls' book of the same name, ran successfully on television screens for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983. The Western historical drama told the story of Plum Creek, Walnut Grove, Minnesota's Ingalls family. The show was led by Michael Landon who portrayed family patriarch Charles Ingalls.

In the final 1982-83 season of the show, an 11-year-old Shannon Doherty joined the cast as Jenny Wilder. Jenny was the niece of Almanzo James Wilder and Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder. She was the daughter of Almanzo's older brother Royal Wilder, who wanted his brother to have custody of his daughter after he found out he was dying.

At the beginning of Jenny's stint on the show, she tried to kill herself by drowning so she could be with her father but was saved by her friend Jeb Wilder. At a point, Jenny was even held hostage alongside Laura by crazed Walnut Grove citizen Thomas Stark who had earlier shot his wife and daughter and pretended that Jenny was his daughter and Laura was his wife.

Jenny's telling moment in the show was when she tried retrieving her locket from the bottom of the lake and got stuck in the process, leaving her unconscious. This led to her suffering from brain damage, making it difficult for her to move and speak. However, she finally recovered from this condition, courtesy of her friend and retired doctor Marvin Haynes.

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"I adored him"- Shannen Doherty on Michael Landon

On Monday's episode of Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty, Shannen was joined by her mother Rosa Elizabeth Doherty as the duo reminisced about the early days of Shannen's career. Shannen's mother recalled how Michael Landon knew how important Shannen's education was and helped provide Shannon with excellent set teachers.

Shannen Doherty talked about how Little House on the Prairie shaped her entire life and still considered her stint on the show the "best experience" of her career. Regarding Michael Landon, the actress stated:

"I adored him. He was a mentor. He taught me so much."

Shannen's mom added that Landon appreciated Shannen's keen interest in acting and the whole process of making the show. Doherty credited Little House on the Prairie and Michael Landon for inspiring her acting career. She said:

"It’s kind of amazing because, when I think about the long span of my career, but also how rough some jobs were — and unenjoyable to be a part of, a little bit toxic — it was really the experience on Little House that spurred that passion on for being an actor."

She added:

"And it was having a mentor like Michael Landon — and I don’t care what anybody else’s experience was like, I know the truth about that man, and he was just unbelievable. So, so, so talented, so kind, so considerate, and it really helped shape me. And he was incredibly caring for my entire family."

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Shannen Doherty was last seen in the Jean-Claude Van Damme-starrer Darkness of Man, which released on May 21. Michael Landon passed away in 1991 due to pancreatic cancer. He was 54 years old.