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Charlotte Stewart

I am often asked what it was like to work with Mike and I tell the same things over and over. I'll try to be original here.

My memory from Bonanza is vague but I was aware of him although we had no scenes together. He must have been in his 20's then and what a hunk!!!

By Little House he was well established but now he was producing so he was involved with the casting. When meeting him on my audition, he was very sweet and funny and made me feel comfortable even though I was very nervous. Then we worked together for four years. Our set always had a light atmosphere. The children, their parents, the social workers, the cast and the crew all seemed to pull together for Mike. He was the top guy, the director, the producer, the star. My impression on looking back was that Mike had a real sense of what the audience loved and that it had to hold up to the test of time. And here we are 30 some years later still running in 20 countries every day and numerous languages for all generations. What show today can say that?

I didn't audition for Highway to Heaven but my name was submitted along with several others. Mike directed the show and my character was ‘Cindy’ (his wife's name). It was fun to see the whole crew who stayed with him after Little House on the Prairie and actually followed him to his next show, the one he was doing when he was diagnosed with cancer. There is no telling what he would have accomplished had he lived but he faced his cancer in front of everyone and gave it all he had.

From the Bonanza episode "The Stalker"