It seems like we are different people depending on who we are around. Most of the time, this isn’t even a conscious thing. Take Melissa Gilbert for example.
Most of us know her from her long and successful career in Hollywood. More specifically, many of us remember her as Laura “Half Pint,” Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. This is fair, though. After all, she spent ten years on one of the biggest television shows to ever hit the airwaves. In doing so, she made a name for herself. At the same time, it set her up for a career in the entertainment industry. However, her friends and loved ones know her for one quirky ability. It all depends on who you’re around.
Recently, Melissa Gilbert sat down with Mindy Cohn for an episode of Cohn’s podcast Mondays with Mindy. During their chat, they covered a plethora of topics. At one point, Gilbert revealed the quirky trick that all of her friends know her for.
Melissa Gilbert’s Quirky Ability
Mindy asked Melissa Gilbert, “Among your friends, what are you best known for?”
Gilbert said that her friends know her best for two wildly different things. The first, she said, is her sense of humor. The former Little House on the Prairie star said that she will do just about anything to make her friends laugh. She picked this trait up during her childhood because she was raised by standup comedians. Having a funny friend is always nice. However, the other thing for which she is known is far more impressive.
According to Melissa Gilbert she has an uncanny ability to absorb and share medical knowledge. She went on to say that her friends call her Doctor Mel and that she is like a walking medical encyclopedia. There is a good reason for this, though.
“I wanted to be a doctor,” Melissa Gilbert said. “I applied to colleges pre-med and wanted to be, specifically, a pediatric neurosurgeon. Don’t ask me why, but, at seventeen that was it.” Why didn’t she go to med school and fulfill that dream? She said, “I realized this hobby I had was actually a career.”
One day her mother sat her down and said, “You know, you have a production company. You’ve done all of these movies on your own, already.” She went on to suggest that Melissa Gilbert continue her career in TV and film and maybe play a doctor on TV. So, she stuck to Hollywood and carved out a decades-long career for herself.
