Alison Arngrim says she’s well aware that her character, Nellie Oleson, “hit some kind of nerve” with the show’s fan base.

Little House on the Prairie star says fan once threw ‘soda at my face’ because they ‘hated’ her character

Alison Arngrim says she's well aware that her character, Nellie Oleson, "hit some kind of nerve" with the show's fan base.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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December 22, 2025 1:50 p.m. ET

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Alison Arngrim as Nellie Oleson on 'Little House on the Prairie'. Credit:

NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Just because she played a critical role in *Little House on the Prairie* doesn't mean Alison Arngrim was well loved by the show's fan base.

The former child star, who spent seven seasons as the bratty Nellie Oleson, knows this all too well — especially when it comes to comparing her fan interactions to those of her costars. During the *Little House on the Prairie *Final 50th Anniversary Reunion attended by PEOPLE, Arngrim recalled the moment when she realized that her character had "hit some kind of nerve" with the show's viewers.

Arngrim was walking in a Christmas parade when suddenly "someone threw an orange soda at my face." The shocking moment was just one instance of fans directing their anger at Nellie towards the young actress who portrayed the onscreen bully.

Alison Arngrim attends the Hollywood Museum's 2024 LGBTQ+ Real to Reel exhibit launch honoring Leslie Jordan in 2024.

Aliah Anderson/Getty

"I didn't have people going, 'Oh, I have such a crush on you. I love you,'" Arngrim said, referencing the experiences of her costars. "It was, 'I hate you. I hate you so much.'"

It's no surprise that fans had such strong feelings about Arngrim's character, who more than earned her nickname of "Nasty Nellie." The spoiled and wealthy nemesis of protagonist Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) proved herself to be jealous and manipulative across the show's run, frequently teasing and tormenting the beloved character throughout childhood. Though she eventually changed for the better — growing as a person just in time for adulthood — fan disdain for Nellie and her golden ringlets remained.

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As for Angrim, the actress noted that people couldn't help but associate her with the character even after the series ended its run in 1983. She shared that people still "hated [her] massively" in the years that followed.

When she attempted to switch gears, auditioning for roles as the "cute sexy girl" that "everybody would love" in various 1980s films, Angrim claims she was shut down.

Alison Arngrim as Nellie Oleson on 'Little House on the Prairie'.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

"They weren't going to give Nellie Oleson that job, ever," she explained. "I was very typecast. And people agreed I could act. I remember casting directors going, 'Oh no, no, you're fine. You're very good every time,' and I'm like, 'Really? Then what's the problem, guys?'"

She added, "It was difficult. So many people go to show business [and] people love them, and here I had worked for years, and everyone hated me. So that was really weird."

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Despite all the grief caused by portraying a widely disliked character, Angrim made it clear that Nellie will always hold a special place in her heart.

"She's like a body part," she shared. "I often say she's like my sister. She's like my evil twin sister. She's like another arm or a leg or an appendage. She's not going anywhere. She's just there."

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