Before she became Walnut Grove’s beloved schoolteacher Miss Beadle, Charlotte Stewart made quite the first impression on Michael Landon. The Little House on the Prairie actress recently recalled the unusual audition that helped her land her memorable role on the classic series.
According to TV Insider, Now 85, Stewart admitted she initially knew very little about the project when her agent secured the audition. She arrived casually dressed and only discovered after walking into the room that Landon, already a major television star, was behind the show. What happened next could easily have cost her the job.
Charlotte Stewart Told Michael Landon To “Shut Up” At Her Audition
During an August 11 appearance on The Patrick LabyorSheaux podcast, Stewart recalled receiving an interview at Paramount Studios for a project she knew simply as Little House. She showed up wearing jeans and a tie-dyed T-shirt. The short audition scene featured a teacher welcoming two young girls to school, but Stewart did not yet understand how significant the project would become.
Everything changed when she entered the audition room and found about a dozen men seated in folding chairs alongside Landon. Stewart remembered feeling stunned when she realized she was auditioning for one of his projects. Still, she committed fully to the scene. She asked to sit behind the producer’s desk and then quieted the room so she could perform. Looking back, Stewart laughed at the realization that she had effectively told Michael Landon to “shut up” during her job interview. The bold move apparently worked because she got the part.
Miss Beadle Became A Beloved Part Of ‘Little House On The Prairie’
Stewart went on to portray schoolteacher Eva Beadle, better known to viewers as Miss Beadle. Her character taught Laura Ingalls and the other children of Walnut Grove, making her a familiar face during the early seasons of the family drama. Little House on the Prairie premiered in 1974 and ultimately ran for nine seasons through 1983. Landon starred as Charles Ingalls while also serving as an important creative force behind the series. The cast included Melissa Gilbert as Laura, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls, Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary, and several other actors who became closely associated with the beloved television adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books.
For Stewart, landing the role became another chapter in a career that extended beyond Walnut Grove. She later became recognizable to another generation of television viewers through her role as Betty Briggs on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Still, Miss Beadle remains one of her best-known characters. Decades later, the story behind Stewart’s audition makes her time on Little House even more memorable. Many young actors might have felt intimidated after unexpectedly encountering a star as famous as Landon. Instead, Charlotte Stewart took control of the room, stayed committed to her performance, and walked away with the role that generations of viewers would come to remember.