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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
In 1981, the world was introduced to one of television’s first original mean girls: the adopted “nasty” Nancy Olesen on the series “Little House on the Prairie.” This role, which some deem the reincarnation of Nellie Oleson, who was written off the show a season before, was played by Allison Balson.
It was a role she secured by, well, yelling.
“When I auditioned for the role of Nancy, I went into the room, and Michael [Landon] was in the casting room, which in the industry is fairly rare that you’ll meet the producer, director, leading star, during your audition. But they wanted to hire the ‘nasty’ Nancy Oleson girl like yesterday. And they weren’t fooling around,” she says.
Landing the role didn’t come without her having to reach into her inner mean girl.
“Michael [Landon] looked at me and said, ‘Allison, I need you to yell something at me. I need you to say you hate me and make me believe it,’” she verifies. Apparently, it worked because Balson was part of the “Little House” cast until 1983.
This part would become Balson’s big break — yes, at the age of 11 — but it wasn’t her first time in front of a camera. Balson made her modeling debut at age 5, and by age 6, she would appear in everything from a national M&M ad campaign to a Vivitar Camera commercial opposite movie legend Orson Welles.
As she moved into her tween years, Balson started acting, making appearances on such iconic TV shows as “CHIPs,” “Quincy, M.E.” and many an after-school special.
Besides modeling and acting, Balson also became involved with music at an early age. Growing up an Army brat, she says music was the foundation that kept her sane in a world of movie shoots and constant upheavals.
“I started out with the piano like many kids, but the minute my parents got me guitar lessons, that stuck with me,” Balson says. “[Music] was always a part of my life. It became my outlet as I grew up, as I became a teenager and I was becoming an adult, because I could always sit down and write my thoughts down in lyrics and melody.”
After settling in Fort Worth nearly a decade ago, Balson hosted and produced the syndicated radio show “Music Scene Live,” a talk show format that featured musical artists performing live renditions of their original music. And Balson herself also happens to dabble in songwriting, recently releasing a new single, “My Friend.” It’s a song she wrote in honor of with the late, Michael Landon, who mentored her during her years on “Little House.” This year marks the show’s 50th anniversary, which makes the timing of this song’s release significant for Balson.
“The only regret I have is that I couldn’t have shared how I felt about [Landon] when he was alive, but it wasn’t until, honestly, his passing that made me think again about him,” she says. “And when I look back on what I learned working with him on that set and the friendship he did give me during that time … it really did influence me going forward as an actor and a songwriter.”
By The Way....
FM: Why did you decide to move to Fort Worth out of all the places you’ve visited and lived?
AB: That’s true, I’ve been all over the place, but Fort Worth just sang to me when I first got here. Fort Worth has an incredibly eclectic scene, and the songwriters and the musicians here are phenomenal, and I hope to goodness that people will open their eyes and recognize the talent that is here. One thing about Fort Worth I love, too, is I love the history. It’s real. The Chisholm Trail. Oh, my goodness. And every time I come down to the Stockyards, I learn something new as well. Los Angeles is also one of my homes. And the history there is quite different than the history in Texas. I mean, where else can you see an authentic cattle drive twice a day?
From the Feed
On the set of “Little House” in Simi Valley, California, with Michael Landon.
Princess Cruise interview and meet-and-greet in the Grand Princess Theater.
Performing on main stage at the Celina Balloon Festival, just north of here.
Balson and her brother Paul with her favorite celebrity dog, Lassie, on set of “The Magic of Lassie.”
Balson with Bob Hope at a gala honoring the comedic legend at the historic Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Balson, as Nancy Oleson, and Katherine McGregor, Harriett Oleson, taken on set during the filming of the “Reincarnation of Nellie Part II.”
Balson with singer-songwriters Amos Staggs and Earl Musick in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
