Alison Arngrim Says Money Was ‘Burning a Hole’ in Her Pocket After She Cashed Out Her Trust Fund: ‘I Don’t Know What I Was Thinking’
Little House on the Prairie star Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson for seven seasons. Fans were entertained by her sassy character and her hilarious scenes with co-star Melissa Gilbert.
Arngrim says she had to learn how to navigate life on her own after leaving the show. She admits managing her finances was challenging. Here’s what she said about the money “burning a hole” in her pocket.
Alison Arngrim was excited about her newfound independence
In her book, Confessions of a Prairie B****, Arngrim discusses life during and after Little House on the Prairie. She says she was excited about living on her own.
“Right after I left, I felt a sense of wonder and excitement that I hadn’t felt in years,” says Arngrim. “What would I do first?”
Arngrim thought agents would be eager to cast her in the latest movie, but she was wrong. The Nellie Oleson actor says it was difficult to book jobs. According to her, agents still saw her and her former co-stars as children. She had to work hard to shed her prairie girl image.
“Hollywood is all about sex and glamour, and Little House on the Prairie was considered decidedly not sexy or glamourous,” says Arngrim. “I tried my best to convince them otherwise. I even played a teenage prostitute on Fantasy Island.”
Alison Arngrim says money was ‘burning a hole’ in her pocket
Arngrim moved out of her parents’ home and purchase a condo in West Hollywood. She says she cashed in her trust fund, and money was “burning a hole” in her pocket. One of the first things Arngrim purchased was “absurdly fancy” Queen Anne furniture. Now that she looks back on her experience, she isn’t sure why she spent so much money decorating her new home.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” says Arngrim. “The show was being run in both primetime and syndication at this point, so the residual checks were pouring in. I was a thousandaire!”
Alison Arngrim spent some of her money on her friends
The Little House star wasn’t married at the time. She also didn’t have to worry about supporting a family. Arngrim had plenty of disposable income and was looking forward to spending her cash. She says she spent some of her money on her friends.
Arngrim was finally living on her own. She was thrilled to be independent. However, Arngrim says there were usually people in her house. Her friends leaned on her for financial support while they figured out their next move.
“I was surrounded by not only the kooky live-in boyfriend, but a never-ending parade of out-of-work actors, trust-fund brats, and assorted visiting Canadians,” says Arngrim. “They all seemed to be trying to ‘find themselves,’ and for some reason they all decided to begin their search from the comfort of my living room couch.”
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