Jack Lilley, who played the stagecoach driver and many other roles on 'Little House on the Prairie,' died on March 19 at the age of 91.
Actor Jack Lilley died at the Motion Picture & Television Fund nursing home in California. His son, Clint Lilley, confirmed the sad news to Fox News on March 21, saying his father passed away peacefully in his sleep. "He was one of a kind," Clint said, expressing pride that his father had seen Hollywood's ups and downs during a seven-decade acting career.
Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura in Little House on the Prairie, paid tribute to her beloved co-star on Instagram: "The Little House family has lost a dear friend, Uncle Jack Lilley."
Melissa, 60, shared her memories and feelings for Jack Lilley. "He was one of my favorite people. He taught me to ride when I was a little girl. He was so patient with me and never said no when I ran up to him and asked for a ride... I was so lucky to have known him," Melissa said. She ended the emotional post with a quote from Shakespeare "may the angels lull him to sleep peacefully" and "love him forever."
Jack Lilley played the stagecoach driver on the show because he was good at riding horses, and also took on other roles, such as townspeople. Jack got into acting in the 1940s when his father moved from Texas to Los Angeles to lease horses to movie studios. He has been a stuntman, extra, and coordinator in over 280 films, including many action and Western films. Famous films he has appeared in include Sudden Impact (1983), Young Guns (1988), Planet of the Apes (2001), and The Legend of Zorro (2005). Jack Lilley worked on over 30 episodes of Little House on the Prairie during its run from 1974-1983. He then went on to collaborate with filmmaker Michael Landon on Highway to Heaven.