Karen Grassle (/ɡræsli/ GRASS-lee; born February 25, 1942) is an American actress, known for her role as Caroline Ingalls in the NBC television drama series Little House on the Prairie.

as well as at the Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado, in June 1972, along with Maureen O'Sullivan and Brandon deWilde, who was killed before leaving town after the performances ended.

[citation needed] Grassle auditioned for the role of the mother, Caroline Ingalls, in the Little House on the Prairie TV series and won the part.

After making the pilot for Little House on the Prairie, Grassle appeared in one episode of Gunsmoke titled "The Wiving" as Fran, one of several saloon girls kidnapped.

2017, "Not to Forget," 2019 s Grassle continues to perform in productions in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Palo Alto as well as tours and productions such as Driving Miss Daisy in the starring role of Miss Daisy at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in a co-production with Rubicon Theatre and at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

In 2021, Grassle starred in the film Not to Forget (2021) together with Academy Award winners Cloris Leachman, Louis Gossett Jr., Tatum O'Neal, George Chakiris and Olympia Dukakis.

Grassle's memoir, Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma was published November 16, 2021, by She Writes Press.

Grassle accused Landon of making derogatory remarks about her while on the set of Little House, often with other members of the cast and crew present, laughing at the comments.