Bonnie Bartlett Looks Back on Balancing Family and Career During Little House on the Prairie Years

Bartlett, who has been married to fellow actor William Daniels — known to millions as Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World — since 1951, appeared alongside him in Boy Meets World as Dean Lila Bolander, his on-screen love interest. But long before that, she took on the role of Grace Snider Edwards in Little House on the Prairie in 1974, appearing in 26 episodes of the beloved series.
Interviewing podcast hosts Will Friedle, Danielle Fishel, and Rider Strong, Bartlett explained that even though she had already established a successful career, she made the conscious choice to leave acting for a period of time to concentrate on raising their two sons, Michael and Robert.
"I didn't work because I had the two little boys," Bartlett remembered, when talking about the time she spent with her children as "the best time of [her] life." Although she still did some theater work, most of her professional life was shelved to focus on her family.
Later, the family moved to California, where Daniels' own career was doing well. With her husband busy and her sons getting older, Bartlett's agent persuaded her to begin auditioning again — and landing her iconic role on Little House on the Prairie.
Now, after a career that has lasted over seven decades, Bartlett's tale is one of reminder about the significant equilibrium between family and profession — and how sometimes leaving it all behind can result in some of the most fulfilling pages, both on and off the job.