Nancy From Little House On The Prairie Starred In A Commercial You Likely Forgot
Fans of the classic Western drama "Little House on the Prairie" no doubt remember Nancy Oleson, the young girl Nels (Richard Bull) and Harriet Oleson (Katherine McGregor) adopt in Season 8 of the show. A spoiled girl with a rebellious streak, Nancy is something of a troublemaker during the show's final two seasons — but in true "Little House" fashion, lessons are learned and the show makes pretty clear that everything will turn out all right in the end.
As it happens, the Ingalls family aren't the only iconic figures Nancy's actor, Allison Balson, has rubbed shoulders with. In 1978, she starred in a TV ad for Vivitar cameras with none other than Orson Welles. In the clip, the legendary filmmaker and actor explains the pocket camera's functions to the viewer and then demonstrates how it works by taking a quick picture of Balson, who plays a ballerina jumping in the air.
What did Allison Balson do after Little House?
Allison Balson's 32 episodes on "Little House on the Prairie" were followed by appearances in three different TV movies based on the show: 1983's "Look Back to Yesterday," 1984's "The Last Farewell," and "Bless All the Dear Children." Apart from her work with the series, however, she's only made a handful of other TV and movie appearances.
In 1986, Balson guest-starred on "ABC Afterschool Specials" Season 15, Episode 1, "A Desperate Exit." In 1987, she seemed to be transitioning toward movie work, first appearing with "Back to the Future" star Christopher Lloyd in the Polish-American children's adventure "Bialy Smok" — aka "Legend of the White Horse" — and then in John Flynn's crime movie "Best Seller," playing Holly Meechum opposite Brian Dennehy and James Woods. However, acting ultimately wasn't for Balson. After "Best Seller," she didn't appear in another role until 2013 when she played Mary in a thriller called "Broken Blood." To this day, this remains her most recent acting credit.
Where is Little House's Allison Balson today?
Allison Balson hasn't just been resting on her laurels since she left the world of acting behind. Though she's not quite as visible as she was during her "Little House on the Prairie" days, she's been active on many fronts, and reports about her activities sporadically on her official website. Apart from festival and convention appearances, extensive traveling, and various "Little House"-related activities over the years, she's also released music — and licensed some of it for the soundtracks of both "Legend of the White Horse" and "Broken Blood."
In a 2008 appearance on KDOC-TV's "Daybreak OC," Balson discussed the music she'd released as one half of the duo Allison and Stone. When she mentioned that her songwriting draws heavily from real life, the host inevitably asked whether her days on "Little House on the Prairie" were an influence. "Writing music draws upon all of your experiences in life, and I certainly have written a lot of songs based on being on 'Little House' — being an actress," Balson replied.