Katherine MacGregor - # 195

Katherine MacGregor Dies: ‘Little House On The Prairie’ Actress Was 93

She was number 195 on the list (listed as Scottie MacGregor).

Katherine MacGregor, best known for her role as Harriet Oleson on Little House on the Prairie, has died. She was 93. MacGregor died Tuesday in Woodland Hills, California, her representative confirmed to NBC News.

In an interview with the Santa Cruz Sentinel in 1981, MacGregor said she looked “for the humor of Mrs. Oleson,” adding “She was originally painted as just black-and-white mean. Anyone that mean has to be a fool. So I began mixing farce into it. I think the audience counts on seeing Mrs. Oleson fall on her fanny.”

Prior to Little House, MacGregor appeared on stage on and off Broadway in New York and other state’s productions including The Seven Year It and Handful of Fire. She also appeared in various television series including Love of Life (1956), The Secret Storm, The Nurses, Play of the Week (1959), East Side/West Side (1963), Mannix (1970–71), Emergency! (1972), Ironside (1972, 1974), and All in the Family (1973). She also had roles in TV movies including The Death of Me Yet (1971), The Girls of Huntington House (1973), and Tell Me Where It Hurts (1974).

After Little House wrapped its run, MacGregor mainly returned to local theater, opting to work onstage in favor of TV and film work.

Little House star Melissa Gilbert paid tribute to MacGregor on Twitter.

    I just got word that Katherine MacGregor passed away yesterday.

    This woman taught me so much…

    about acting…

    vintage jewelry…

    life.

    She was outspoken and hilariously funny. A… https://t.co/I4F9XA1Fa4

    — Melissa Gilbert (@MEGBusfield) November 14, 2018

Filmography

Year       Film       Role       Notes

1954      On the Waterfront           Longshoreman's Mother               Uncredited

1956      Love of Life         Tammy Forrest #1            Unknown episodes

1959      Play of the Week              Maria    Episode - "The Power and the Glory"

1963      East Side/West Side        Grace Morrison                 Episode - "Go Fight City Hall"

1970      The Traveling Executioner            Alice Thorn         Uncredited

1970      Mannix                 Nurse Evans        Episode - "The World Between"

1970      The Student Nurses        Miss Boswell     

1971      The Young Lawyers          Mrs. Brady          Episode - "The Bradbury War"

1971      The Death of Me Yet       Nora Queen       TV movie

1971      Mannix                 Nurse    Episode - "Run Till Dark"

1972      Ironside                Mrs. Pyle             Episode - "Programmed for Panic"

1972      Emergency!        Myrna Scudder Episode - "Musical Mania"

1973      The Girls of Huntington House    Rose Beckwith   TV movie

1973      All in the Family                Nurse    Episode - "Edith's Christmas Story"

1974      Tell Me Where It Hurts Marge   TV movie

1974      Ironside                Irma       Episode - "Amy Prentiss" (Parts 1 & 2)

1974–1983          Little House on the Prairie            Harriet Oleson   153 episodes