Alison Arngrim (64) is back in the world of "Little House on the Prairie". In the second episode of the Netflix reboot, the actress makes a guest appearance. She portrays a character named Ida. In the original series, Arngrim was seen as the devious classmate Nellie Oleson.
Her new role is significantly different. Ida belongs to a group of women that the Ingalls daughters encounter in the woods while searching for their friend John. The women claim that John is with them and will return soon. When he doesn't show up, Laura panics and tries to flee. Ida holds her back, whereupon Laura bites her arm. The appearance is according to "People" magazine brief, but attentive fans of the cult series might recognize Arngrim.
A Phone Call, a Week and a Half Before
The request came surprisingly late for the actress, about two weeks before her scene was scheduled to be filmed. "What are you doing in a week and a half? Could you come to Winnipeg? There's this character, we want it to be you", is what she was told on the phone, she told the Netflix portal "Tudum".
Arngrim describes Ida candidly in the interview. "Ida is basically a crazy woman in the woods. A kind of forest drifter with drifter friends", she said. "They're hanging out in the woods, having their little dinner, a little campfire, and the two poor, unsuspecting Ingalls girls stumble in, and we're like, 'Hi, come, stay with us.' I thought: 'Oh, this is creepy times three. That sounds exactly like my thing. I'm in right away'."
Teeth and Nails Deliberately Ruined
What surprised Arngrim most on set was the elaborate production design. In the original series, the actors wore undershirts and bloomers, but for Ida they fully costumed her. "I was in heaven. I love that kind of thing. I thought: 'Oh, we're going all out. This is fantastic'", said the actress.
The makeup department deliberately worked against her well-groomed appearance. "They made me look like I care far less about myself than I actually do. They painted my teeth and made them look terrible. They painted my nails to make them look disgusting, dirty, and diseased. All my beautiful nails, my beautiful teeth, my beautiful skin, all gone", Arngrim described. She puts the result into historical context: "But it was the 1800s. People are in the sun, there's no sunscreen, and this woman is clearly a tough case. She's been drinking, lives in the woods, and isn't hydrated. She's rough."
From Hate to Cult Figure
Her time as Nellie still shapes Arngrim to this day. People still approach her about all the "terrible" things her character did to Laura. "Apparently I did it right", she said. "The trick is: If you do it right, everyone hates you. And if you really do it right, they eventually love you. I was clearly the villain. I was awful. I was terrible to Laura and to everyone."
Whether a Nellie would return at all was long uncertain. In February 2025, Arngrim told "ReMIND" magazine that until then, no one from the original cast had been approached for the reboot, but she herself was open to it. "I've been joking for years that I'm finally old enough to play Mrs. Oleson, so call me", she said at the time.
Advice for the New Nellie: "It's Like Playing Hannibal Lecter"
According to Netflix, the role of Nellie is set to return in the second season of the reboot. Willa Dunn will take it on. Arngrim, who by her own account has been waiting for a new Nellie for years, gives her successor some advice. "Take it and run with it. Have fun. As far as I'm concerned, it's the most fun role you could ever play", she said.
At the same time, she warned about the side effects of a convincing villain. "If you do it right, there will be people who hate you and who think the series is real. It's like playing Hannibal Lecter. If you do it right, people freak out. You have to take that in stride. You need strong self-confidence and a dark sense of humor. Even if fans can't separate fantasy and reality, you have to."
"Little House on the Prairie" is now available on Netflix.
