Leslie Landon is a popular retired American actress, who caught the public eye for her praised portrayal of Etta Plum in the award-winning series “Little House on the Prairie.” Following her retirement from acting, Leslie started working as a family therapist.
Age, Early Life, Education Background
Leslie Ann Landon was born under the Libra zodiac sign on 11 October 1962, in Los Angeles, California, which makes her 59 years old as of 2021. Her parents are Michael Landon, a famed actor, producer and writer, and his second wife Marjorie Lynn Noe who was an actress – her parents were of Ashkenazi Jewish roots. Landon was raised in Los Angeles together with her siblings Shawna Leigh Landon, Michael Jr., and Christopher; she has a half-sister and a half-brother named Jennifer and Matthew Landon who were both born to her step-mother Cindy Clerico. She has another half-brother, Josh Landon, from her father’s other marriage.
On top of this, she has an adopted brother, Mark Landon, and a half-sister named Cheryl Lynn Landon from Marjorie’s first marriage.
Leslie attended a local high school where she developed an interest in acting, and would constantly appear in the school’s plays since she was a key member of the drama club. She matriculated in 1980, and enrolled to study a BA in psychology at Pepperdine University – she graduated in 1984, then went for further studies and obtained a MA in psychology (1986). Later on, she was awarded a PhD in family and marriage therapy from California Graduate Institute.
Hobbies and Interests
Landon finds pleasure in helping people, which motivated her to become a family psychologist. She is a generous woman who volunteers and donates to charities and organizations that are established to help needy children.
She loves animals and has kept a few pet cats and dogs. Her favorite ‘animals’ are turtles.
The retired Californian actress’s favorite movies are the “Harry Potter” franchise, “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “Bruce Almighty” while her most-liked actresses and actors are Emma Watson, Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey.
She likes traveling, and her favorite destinations are Miami in Florida, Paris, and Rome
Career
Acting Career
Landon made her TV series debut in 1982, when she landed a guest-starring role as Kate in an episode of the family drama series “Father Murphy”, entitled “The Dream Day.” The series starred Timothy Gibbs, Katherine Cannon and Merlin Olsen and was created by Michael Landon (her father) – it follows the story of a kind-hearted man who takes care of more than 20 orphans with the help of a teacher.
The series was a commercial success, and was nominated for seven awards aside from winning five, which included a Primetime Emmy.
She assumed the role of Etta in the 1983 romantic film “Little House: Look Back To Yesterday”, about a man who aspires to become a physician, but is diagnosed with a terminal illness; it starred Richard Bull, Dean Butler and Melissa Gilbert. The year that followed saw her reprising her role of Etta in “Little House: The Last Farewell”, before she reappeared in its sequel “Little House: Bless All the Dear Children” in 1984. Her last role before she retired was as Cheryl Crane in the 1984 “Hollywood’s Most Sensational Mysteries” movie.
Writing Career and Roles in TV Specials, Documentaries, and Talk Shows
Landon made an appearance in the documentary film “Michael Landon: Memories With Laughter and Love” (1991), which was about her father.
In 1998, she starred in the biographical documentary series “Intimate Portrait”, in its “Melissa Gilbert” episode, and 2001 saw her appearing in the “Biography” documentary series, before being invited to the “Weekend Today” news talk show (May 2007), and “Little House on the Prairie Reunion” episode of the “Home & Family” talk show (2015).
As a writer, in 2001 Leslie released the book “When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving, and Other Losses”, alongside co-writers Harper Collins, Russell Friedman and John James.
Personal Life
Landon is a married woman who exchanged wedding vows with Brian Matthews in 1990. The duo has remained tight-lipped when it comes to the events that led to their meeting; their wedding was a private ceremony attended only by family members and close friends.
They have since welcomed four children together – Rachel Lynn on 25 October 1993, and their other children, Justin Michael, Catherine and Joseph, were born on 31 May 1995, in 2000, and 2 February 2002 respectively.
Health Problems
Shortly after she matriculated from high school, Landon was diagnosed with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa – it‘s characterized by an obsession to lose weight and distorted body image, where one tends to overeat followed by purging, self-induced vomiting, and fasting. Fortunately, she recovered within a few years later.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Leslie is 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall and weighs around 145lbs (67kgs). She has hazel eyes and long brown hair.
Net Worth
Acting has not only been Leslie’s entertainment and refreshment, but her main income source. She featured in several productions, which earned her a fortune as well as recognition. On top of this, she earns a decent sum from her current career as a psychologist, reputedly close to $100,000 pa. As of 2021, she is authoritatively worth approximately $2 million.
Who Was Leslie Landon’s Father, Michael Landon
Michael Landon was born as Eugene Maurice Orowitz under the Scorpio zodiac sign on 31 October 1936, in Queens, New York City. He was the lastborn child of Peggy and Eli M. Orowitz and was raised alongside his sister Evelyn.
His mother suffered from mental illness and would constantly attempt suicide, which made his childhood rough. He attended Collingswood High School before matriculating to Southern California University; he joined showbiz soon after he graduated.
Michael commenced his career in the mid-50s, and made appearances in various productions including 1955’s “Luke and the Tenderfoot,” “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” (1957), 1959’s “Bonanza,” and many more. He will be remembered for portraying Charles for nine years (1974-1983) in “Little House on the Prairie” and for his lead role in “Highway to Heaven” (1984-1989).
Michael Landon married Dodie Levy Fraser in 1956 but they divorced in 1962; they had welcomed two children together. He exchanged vows with Leslie’s mother in 1963 and they had four children together before their divorce in 1982. He married Cindy Clerico the year that followed, and they were blessed with two children. A few years later, Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and unfortunately passed away in Malibu, California, in 1991. He was worth close to an estimated $40 million.
