>> reporter: melissa gilbert is in her element. far away from hollywood. wilder on the beloved long-running tv show "little house on the prairie." >> i decided something. >> what's that, half pint? >> home is the nicest word there is. >> reporter: gilbert has gone back to the homestead, here at her little cottage in the cat stills. >> this is where i'm happiest. getting dirty in the garden. hanging out with the chickens. having our quiet, peaceful, rural, kocozy life. >> you have your own prairie. >> i have my own prairie, which is what i wanted, i just didn't know how to get it, the life i wanted, the life i pretended to have on television. >> reporter: for gilbert, it's been the work of a lifetime, finding peace in her surroundings and in herself. >> i grew up in hollywood. in a hollywood family. and glamor was the name of the game. it was a sort of given that i would have my nose fixed. it was a given that as i aged i would start to fight it. by using botox and fillers. and it just became -- anathema to who i was on the inside. i think age should be cel

plus, the author of "back to the prairie," melissa gilbert.eck in from the famous cafe. and ali wentworth joins ryan at the co-host desk. and now, here are ryan seacrest and ali wentworth! [cheers and applause] >> ryan:

spited. >>> but first, we watched our next guest grow up on "little house on the prairie" and now, melissa gilbertry big anniversary. >> i just heard. i had no idea. >> 40 years to the day the original "little house on the prairie" was -- >> ended. it was the final episode. 40 years ago was the last episode so that means we're coming up on the 50-year of the first. >> wow. >> i don't know how that happened. i was 9 and i just turned 58. >> what's one of your favorite memories from filming the show? >> i have so many, but the one that pops out of my head the most is we were shooting the pilot episode of "little house" and there was a scene where michael landon rides up with a brace of rabbits he shot and hands them to me and i put them on a table and they were actual rabbits. he knew if i knew the rabbits were dead i wouldn't be able to do it. i would be shattered. so he told me that they were hypnotized. [ laughter ] but, wait, so i put the rabbits -- >> permanently hypnotized. >> i put these rabbits on the table and missed the table and fell o the ground and they just thudded and everyone went, o

. >> melissa gilbert, laura ingals wilder from "a little house on the prairie," who is found her way

took findings with about the christmas list of the british name, melissa h a jim, so i see any bizarre it was under proceeded was major gilbert. so give me just a short of shows pushy what, what was your idea to value pursue with long mo, when i was showing wrong, when i just don't know any world that he has to shape out disdain becomes the advocate. an engagement equals the trail. when so many find themselves worlds apart, we choose to look so common ground. ah, ah, a drive to sanction russia in any one who does business with russia is wrecking havoc on the global economy. the goal is to punish russia so far the russian economy remain stable. this cannot be said for other economies around the world. in fact, those who sanction are feeling enormous pain and suffering. ah, i'm in the back of all sheila's christmas match. l. a. trace of ashley, the sport valet with them was to chance him about mister bradley. them between 1st who made ashley boucher for their full support. vala that she flew smartly. i'm afraid the should you must be the kid who would never go in the probably did give them a bulk of the u. d. good. so boy which