Mary McDonough, Alison Arngrim to Appear at Santa Monica Library, 10/16

TV's Good Girl, Mary McDonough, Erin Walton, and TV's Bad Girl, Alison Amgrim, Nellie Oleson, come together on one stage for a Waltons' vs. The Little House on the Prairie discussion and Q&A about the differences and similarities of growing up on both. The actresses will be appearing at the Santa Monica Library - 601 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica CA on Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 to 9:00pm - For more info call - (310) 458-8600

In her memoir, CONFESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE BITCH, Arngrim, a longtime stand-up comic, recounts her most cherished and often hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from the Little House set, and her experiences growing up in an eccentric Hollywood family. It was through playing the iconic Nellie that Alison was able to find strength to survive some of her most harrowing personal struggles. "I owe it all to the biggest little bitch on the prairie," writes Alison. "When I played Nellie Oleson, she allowed me to scream, to howl, to throw things, to pour out all my pain and rage over and over again in a safe place. Nellie taught me that I could be angry, and the world would not open up and swallow me." Entertaining and illuminating throughout, CONFESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE BITCH pulls back the curtain on one of the most popular TV shows of all time -- and will be a must-read for all the fans who used to love to hate the despicable Nellie Oleson.

The book details:

* Life as a child actor on the hit series.

* The friendships and foes forged on the set

* Surviving incest and abuse at home and how becoming America's #1 bitch saved her life

* Becoming an activist for AIDS survivors and abused children

Ms. McDonough's memoir is a poignant story of growing up on Emmy award-winning series The Waltons, where she played the middle sister, Erin. The show is still being shown worldwide and has fans all over the world. At the age of ten, McDonough was cast as Erin Walton in The Homecoming, the movie of the week that inspired the dramatic series and overnight, her life as a normal kid in a working-class, Catholic family changed. As McDonough says, "It was bizarre, fun, tremendous, painful, wonderful and different. It was definitely not a normal way to grow up." When asked about being the first of the Walton's cast to release a memoir, Mary declares, "The decision to write didn't come easily for several reasons. When people ask me why we haven't written a book about The Waltons, I joke that if anyone did and told the whole truth, the rest of us would get together and kill them. So, if I disappear soon after this book is published, consider The Waltons family members key suspects."

McDonough speaks out about ...

o How her very first audition earned her the role that would define a lifetime.
o Her years on the set of The Waltons and what it was like growing up in front of America.
o An adolescent battling depression, insomnia, body image issues and experimented with drugs
o How TV grandfather, Will Greer, tried to cast Mary in a stage role requiring nudity
o How her mother responded to the role of Regan in The Exorcist that went to friend Linda Blair.
o Working with industry legends including Edgar Bergen, Patricia Neal, Rosemary Clooney, etc
o Alternately embracing and rebelling against her good-girl screen persona.
o Becoming a an expert on health issues she personally faced after obtaining silicone implants
o Being diagnosed with Lupus
o Recent career roles on Boston Legal, The New Adventures of Old Christine, ER, Will Grace
o Recently produced the Walton's Reunion for INSP Television

 

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