Dean Butler Says Michael Landon Wore ‘Very Little Makeup’ on “Little House on the Prairie”: ‘Everyone Was Made Up to Balance with Michael’
Dean Butler Says Michael Landon Wore ‘Very Little Makeup’ on “Little House on the Prairie”: ‘Everyone Was Made Up to Balance with Michael’
Virginia ChamleeFri, June 12, 2026 at 8:39 PM UTC
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Michael LandonCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty -
Little House on the Prairie cast members are recalling the importance of looking tan while filming the show
In a new podcast, Dean Butler noted that star Michael Landon required less cosmetic assistance than his costars
The actor went on to explain that makeup artists often worked to ensure that other performers matched Landon's appearance on camera
While Little House on the Prairie may have focused on the realities of life on the frontier, appearances still mattered — including whether the characters had a good tan.
During a recent episode of the Little House 50 podcast, former cast members Dean Butler and Alison Arngrim shared a behind-the-scenes detail about the show's makeup department, revealing that star Michael Landon required less cosmetic assistance than his costars.
Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder on the beloved NBC drama, recalled that Landon's naturally tan complexion became something of a benchmark for the rest of the cast.
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Little House on the Prairie castCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
"Michael wore very little makeup, if any at all," Butler said. "I mean, he had this very dark tan."
The actor explained that makeup artists often worked to ensure that other performers matched Landon's appearance on camera.
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"Everyone was made up to balance with Michael," Butler said. "We couldn't look that pale next to each other."
Butler added: "If your skin was exposed, you were being made up to try and be in the same territory that Michael was in naturally."
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Little House on the Prairie aired from 1974 to 1983 and was based on the semi-autobiographical books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which followed the Ingalls family as they navigated life in the small frontier community of Walnut Grove, Minn.
Landon not only starred as patriarch Charles Ingalls but also served as an executive producer, writer and director on the series, helping shape its creative direction throughout its nine-season run.
Landon died in 1991 at age 54, and his fellow cast members have remembered him fondly in the years since.
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