Beloved ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star, 95, Talks the ‘Physical Attraction’ Between Characters That Is ‘Played Down in the Show’

The star talked on-screen romance and off-screen dynamics.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE -- "Mr. Edward's Homecoming" Episode 4 -- Aired 10/02/1974 -- Pictured: (l-r) Bonnie Bartlett as Grace Snider, Victor French as Isaiah Edwards — LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE — “Mr. Edward’s Homecoming” Episode 4 — Aired 10/02/1974 — Pictured: (l-r) Bonnie Bartlett as Grace Snider, Victor French as Isaiah Edwards

Decades after Little House on the Prairie captured the hearts of millions, star Bonnie Bartlett is looking back on her time in Walnut Grove, sharing fond memories of her character’s beloved, mature romance and revealing the “unspoken” chemistry that made it so special.

In a recent interview with Buzzfeed, the veteran actress, now 95, reflected on playing the town postmistress, Grace Snider, and the unique on-set directing style of the show’s star, Michael Landon.

For many viewers, the relationship between Grace Snider and the gruff but lovable Isaiah Edwards (played by Victor French) was a highlight of the series. Bartlett reveals that the depth of their connection was intentional, with a subtle, simmering attraction just beneath the surface of their prim, small-town courtship. This unspoken dynamic, she explains, was the key to their on-screen magic.

“What sticks out for me is that at the time, I’m a 45-year-old woman, and Grace is getting married, and that is a very emotional thing,” Bartlett shared. “Grace and Isaiah have a physical attraction, which is played down in the show — it’s underneath everything, but it is there. That’s what makes it interesting, because their physical attraction is beneath everything; it’s never recognized. Do you know what I mean? It makes a kind of tension between them. That kind of tension makes it fun.”

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE — “The Spring Dance” Episode 6 — Aired 10/29/1975 — Pictured: (l-r) Kevin Hagen as Dr. Hiram Baker, Victor French as Isaiah Edwards, Bonnie Bartlett as Grace Snider

She recalled how her character, the “prim, middle-aged lady,” blossomed through her relationship with Isaiah. “Grace is the postmistress, which was the fun part,” she said. “She was kind of a prim, middle-aged lady, and was just opening up to how much fun it could be with Isaiah. It was beautifully written, and we had fun doing it.”

Beyond the on-screen romance, Bartlett also offered a glimpse into Landon’s unconventional directing methods. She admitted that his process was something she had to get used to, as it was unlike anything she had experienced before. Landon would pre-plan all the technical aspects of a scene using stand-ins, leaving the principal actors to receive their physical blocking instructions secondhand.

“Well, he did something that I didn’t like at first. I had to get used to it. He blocked all the technical stuff, not with the actors, but he blocked it with the stand-ins,” Bartlett told the outlet. “Then the stand-ins told you what to do physically, and that standard was strange to me. I never had anything like that; I was always in on the very beginning. But he did it like that, and he managed to do it.”

Beloved ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star, 95, Talks the ‘Physical Attraction’ Between Characters That Is ‘Played Down in the Show’

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