Hollywood has seen many legendary actresses who have contributed significantly to the industry. Melissa Gilbert is counted as one of those actresses. By applying unique skills, she drives every project toward success. This made her a well-decorated star with the highest payment. Today, we will discover Melissa Gilbert net worth and the facts behind it.
Table of Contents
Who is Melissa Gilbert?
Melissa Gilbert is an American actress. She began her acting profession as a child. She is well known for her Laura Ingalls Wilder character in the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. As an adult, Melissa continued her career in television films. Besides these, Melissa is the 26th President of the Screen Actors Guild.
Short Bio of Melissa Gilbert
| Full Name | Melissa Ellen Gilbert |
| Birthdate | May 8, 1964 (age 59) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Height | 5’ 3” (1.60 m) |
| Profession | Actress, Author |
| Social Media | |
| Net Worth | $500 Thousand |
Melissa Gilbert Net Worth
Melissa Gilbert’s net worth in 2023 is estimated to be $500 thousand. Being a successful actor is the main reason behind this net worth. She acted in a lot of films and series that were successful. She served five years as a President of the Screen Actors Guild. Besides these, Melissa is also an author. She wrote several best-selling books.
Early Life
Melissa was born in Los Angeles, California. She was placed for adoption after birth and was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert and his wife, actress Barbara Crane. Melissa’s adoptive parents divorced when she was six years old.
Later, her adoptive mother remarried attorney Harold Abeles, and they welcomed their first biological daughter, Sara Gilbert, in 1975. Melissa’s adoptive father died On February 13, 1976.
Sources Behind Melissa Gilbert Net Worth
Early Career Breakthrough
Melissa started her acting career in films. She made her first film debut in The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) and played a minor role. Later, she moved to television and continuously appeared in supporting guest roles in a lot of popular television shows and series, such as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour, Gunsmoke, Emergency!, Tenafly, and so on.
Melissa got her television main role in Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983). She played the leading character of Laura Ingalls. Soon, this series became very popular. Through this, Melissa’s fame rose to the top.
Melissa returned to films in 1985 and starred in Sylvester. This film became successful at the box office and earned over 300 thousand U.S. dollars.
These early works helped her to achieve massive fame and popularity. It also allowed her to accumulate much wealth from the beginning of her career.
Films
After completing a successful starring role, Melissa got many film offers from several film agents and cast directors. As a result, She signed up for a lot of hit films. In 1987, she starred in Drug-Free Kids: A Parent’s Guide.
Later, she got the leading role in Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife in 1987. Because of the attractive story, this film became very popular at that time. Melissa got her wider fame from this.
With all her success records, Melissa became a highly-demanded actress in the industry. Also, she charges a high payment rate for acting. After this, she starred in several films, like Ice House, Safe Harbour, One Smart Fellow, When We Last Spoke, and others.
She was paid a massive amount for every film she acted in. These earnings became one of the main sources of her net worth.
Television Films
Melissa is more influential in television films. She made her first television film debut in Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. (1977). She played the leading character of Kelly Sullivan in this film. Later, in 1979, She led the film The Miracle Worker with Helen Keller‘s character.
Melissa performed incredibly well in these TV films. For this reason, she got many contracts from several TV networks. In 1983, Melissa got his most enormous TV film success.
Melissa starred in the worldwide famous TV film series Little House. She played the leading character of Laura Ingalls Wilder and continued this for the five films of this series. This TV film series was broadcast on many networks and earned millions of dollars.
With this success, Melissa starred in many TV films, such as Without Her Consent, With a Vengeance, Cries from the Heart, Thicker than Water, and so on.
From 1980 to 2000, she continuously starred in a lot of TV films. Most of these films went viral and earned millions. Because of her fame and success record, she got paid massively for every TV film she acted in. These revenues increased her net worth significantly.
Television Shows and Series
Besides films, Melissa has also appeared in many long-running television shows and series. In 1974, she became the main role in Little House on the Prairie. She made her starring role debut in this television series. She completed a total of 191 episodes with this series.
Later, she got another main role in Stand by Your Man (1992). Melissa continued her main role for eight episodes.
From 1994 to 1995, Melissa appeared in 22 episodes of Sweet Justice. She played the main role of Kate Delacroy in this series. Melissa also participated in the popular dancing competition Dancing with the Stars and completed 14 episodes of it.
Melissa also made guest appearances on many television shows and series, such as The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour, The Hidden Room, Babylon 5, The Outer Limits, and others. Melissa was paid a high amount for every appearance on those television shows and series.
Books
Melissa published her first book, Prairie Tale: A Memoir, through the Gallery Books publication, in 2009. This book became very popular and ranked on the New York Times best-selling list. With this success, she wrote her second book, Daisy and Josephine, and published it in 2014.
In the same year, she published another book titled My Prairie Cookbook. In this book, she tells her experiences and memories with the Little House series. Melissa’s latest book, Back to the Prairie (2022), ranked on the New York Times best-selling list.
All of her books sold thousands of copies and are still selling on the internet. Melissa, as an author, gets a portion of the profit from those book sales. These earnings increase her net worth widely.
President of the Screen Actors Guild
In 2001, Melissa was elected as the 26th President of the Screen Actors Guild. As a president of Screen Actors, she completes many vital duties, like managing all meetings, representing the union in affiliated and other organizations, Preserving and expanding work opportunities, etc. She continued this post until 2005 and was paid a range of $200,000 to $300,000 salary.
Awards
Melissa Gilbert won 13 awards and was nominated for 25 times. The most significant of those 13 winning awards are as follows.
- Star on the Walk of Fame Television
- Best Young Actress in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Feature Film
- Best TV Pilot Drama
- Golden Boot Award
Personal Life
Melissa Gilbert married actor Bo Brinkman in 1988. But they divorced in 1994. Later, she married Bruce Boxleitner in 1995. Bruce is also an actor. Melissa and Bruce ended their marriage with divorce in 2011. After this, Melissa married actor Timothy Busfield on April 24, 2013. Together they have two children.
FAQs
What is Melissa Gilbert net worth?
Melissa Gilbert’s net worth in 2023 is estimated at $500,000.
Is Melissa Gilbert still married to her husband?
Yes, she is still married to her husband, Timothy Busfield.
What is Melissa Gilbert age?
Melissa Gilbert is 59 years old now.
Final Thoughts
Melissa Gilbert net worth is a result of her quick success. She made a massive contribution to the film industry. Because of her success and dedication, she achieves a lavish financial status.
Benedict is an entertainment enthusiast and a passionate blogger. He loves to share his insights and opinions of the ever-evolving entertainment world. When he’s not writing, you can find Benedict immersing himself in the latest releases, following the latest industry events, and engaging with fellow entertainment enthusiasts online.
