Melissa Sue Anderson was born on September 26, 1962, in Berkeley, California. Growing up, she was a shy girl who preferred reading books rather than climbing trees.

But early on, people saw that the young girl with the marble-clear blue eyes had a talent for performing on stage. One of her dance teachers advised the girl’s parents to contact an agent.

Anderson, who was a straight A-student, began her career as a child actress, appearing in guests roles on sitcoms like Bewitched and The Brady Bunch, where she played Millicent, the girl who gave Bobby his first kiss.

But she got her big break, and defining role, after getting cast on Little House as Mary Ingalls, one of the central characters.