Notable People
Jack Lilley was a stuntman and horse wrangler who worked on ‘Little House’ and many other Western-themed shows.
Jack Lilley, a stunt coordinator and animal wrangler who worked on Little House on the Prairie and many other Hollywood shows and movies, has died. He was 91.
Lilley’s co-star Melissa Gilbert shared the news of his death in an Instagram post on Friday, paying tribute to the man who “taught me how to ride a horse.”
“The Little House family has lost one of our own,” she wrote in the March 21 social media update. “Jack Lilley has passed away. He was 91 years old. He also happened to be one of my favorite people on the planet.”
‘Little House’ star says she was ‘lucky’ to have Jack Lilley as a friend
Lilley had multiple roles on the Little House set, including serving as Victor French’s photo double and playing various small parts in the series, which ran from 1974 to 1983. He was also the show’s stunt coordinator, according to IMDB. His acting credits including appearances in the classic comedy Blazing Saddles, many TV westerns, including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, and The Virginian, and shows like Dallas and Fantasy Island. He worked frequently as a stuntman and horse wrangler on various shows and movies.
In a 2015 interview with SCVTV, Lilley recalled working with Little House star Michael Landon on several shows.
“I was with [Michael] Landon for nine years on Little House,” he said. “I dealt with Vic French and was the stunt coordinator on some of them and then did Father Murphy for him. The last stunt job I coordinated for him was Highway to Heaven.”
Gilbert and Lilley reconnected years after Little House ended when she filmed a Western pilot for ABC. When she arrived on set, Gilbert was surprised to see that Lilley had been hired as the wrangler. He greeted her like an old friend.
“I walked to the set itself and before I could even focus I heard a familiar voice holler, ‘Hey Halfpint, you old rat-*ss!!!’ It was Jack … In that instant, I knew I was home,” she recalled. “Jack always felt like home to me. He lived quite a life. I am so lucky that he was my friend.”
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