(L to R) Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls in LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. ©Netflix. Cr. Eric Zachanowich/Netflix.
By JUDY SLOANE
Front Row Features
HOLLYWOOD-On September 11, 1974, a new series “Little House on the Prairie” began its run on NBC. It was based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book of the same name. It starred Michael Landon and Karen Grassle as Charles and Caroline Ingalls, who in the 1870s travelled with their children, Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) across the American frontier to settle in a new state. The popular show ran for nine years, and since its final episode aired in 1983 it has been constantly replayed in syndication.
Now, forty-three years later, a new version of “Little House on the Prairie” is about to premiere on Netflix on July 9th. It stars Luke Bracey (Elvis, Hacksaw Ridge) as Charles, Crosby Fitzgerald (Crime 101, Palm Royale) as Caroline, with Alice Halsey (Lessons in Chemistry) as Laura and Skywalker Hughes (I, Object) as Mary.
Members of the TV Critics Association spoke with Luke and Crosby about taking on these iconic roles of Pa and Ma Ingalls.
Q: What was your relationship to the original source material?
Crosby Fitzgerald: I grew up reading the books. My mom is a huge fan; she collected a few box sets. It was a huge deal for me and my whole family for sure.
Luke Bracey: I didn’t have a connection to the books or the show. It wasn’t something that was part of my life, or part of my family’s life. But what I’ve been blessed with is learning how much it means to so many people. Ever since I’ve made the show, I’ve been so struck by the range of people that have told me how influential it is in their life.
Q: Did you go back and watch the TV series? And if you did, what did you think?
Luke Bracey: I watched the first episode or two. What really struck me is there’s very little dialogue in the first 20 minutes of it. I found that a really striking and brave way to start a story, not having anyone talking for a considerable amount of time.
Crosby Fitzgerald: I’ve only seen very little, but my stepmom is a huge fan. And we’ve talked about it a lot. And my little sisters have been watching it in preparation for this. It’s so beloved.
Q: I really appreciated the love that we see between Ma and Pa. You casually kiss each other a lot. Was it important to you to portray that genuine parental and familial love throughout the series?
Crosby Fitzgerald: Yeah, I think so. We got a lot of time to talk about what we wanted to do with Charles and Caroline. One of the things we connected early on was this is the couple that you strive to be, the parents you strive to be where they have hardships, they disagree, they fight, but the love is always the strongest thing, and always the thing they come back to, and we were pretty invested in making that happen.
Luke Bracey: Another thing that Crosby and I really wanted [was] their partnership to be one of mutual respect. They go through so much, and every day for the Ingalls family is a challenge. A couple that takes on life together. The teammate aspect of it was something that we thought could really elevate it from just loving each other to people that love each other, love their family and want the best for it. We really enjoyed the whole process of creating their connection.
Q: There certainly is affection, but there is also a lot of tension within the family, even with Mary and Laura. Why was it important to show that dimension that we didn’t really see as much of in the original series?
Crosby Fitzgerald: There’s nothing more realistic than tension in family. We were talking the other day [about how] Alice and Skywalker depicted sisterhood so well, where one second you’re fighting the next second, you’re like, “You want to sing, or no?” It’s extremely human. The people you love most are the people you hurt the most sometimes, and I thought we did a good job showing that.
Q: What do you see in Crosby that makes her Caroline Ingalls?
Luke Bracey: I think Crosby’s an amazing Caroline because she’s got a giant heart. And she cares about everyone around her. And that’s what Caroline does in these stories.
[Caroline’s] got a family that she would do absolutely anything for. She has a modesty, a humility to her that is so endearing and belies the strength that she has. And that’s Crosby to a T. She’s just a wonderful person who cares for others, puts others in front of herself and doesn’t quite realize how incredible she is sometimes.
Crosby Fitzgerald: That’s so nice. I’m not gonna cry. I already do that on the show. So that’s cool. I felt so different from Caroline. When I heard that I got the audition, at first I was like, “Well, I’m nowhere near this person.” Thank you.
Q: Crosby, what do you see in Luke that reminds you of Charles Ingalls?
Crosby Fitzgerald: I remember meeting Luke in the chemistry test, and I was like, “That’s the guy.” He’s obviously gorgeous, but also just a good-time guy. Pa really brings this sense of security. Not because he’s, “I’m Dad, you got to listen to me,” but he wants to do his best. He shows up with everything he has. And that is Luke.
Luke’s an extremely hard worker. He works hard for the team. Not for himself. Not so that he can look good. Not so that he can be lauded for any reason. He wants to bring us all up together. He takes the work very seriously. He doesn’t take himself too seriously at all. He also is a man of the world, a dreamer and a traveler. I learn so much from him.
Luke Bracey: Thanks. It’s a real privilege to play a good man. It’s rare. And that’s what I feel most fortunate about, and what I hope I have in common with him.
