Forty-two years later, we’re still not over it.
Little House on the Prairiewas never afraid to bring the trauma.
), the long-running family drama didn’t always equate “wholesome” with “easy to watch.”
Olivia Barash and Richard Jaeckel in the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ episode ‘Sylvia’.Credit: NBC
Alas, Sylvia and her true love never got their happily ever after.
(Like we said, this two-parter wasdark.)
“The thing that was great about it was that it was a dramatic role.
Royal Dano and Olivia Barash in ‘Little House on the Prairie’.NBC
So, it was great for me to show my chops,” Barash tells EW.
“That was a plus.
I didn’t realize how much it would affect people.”
Olivia Barash.Francis Juarez
But four decades later, viewers still can’t stop talking about her turn as Sylvia Webb.
“Because ofLittle House, I have this really weird fan by base,” says Barash.
“I’m this cult actress Repo Man, and all that.
Pauly Shore, Olivia Barash, and Howie Mandell in ‘St. Elsewhere’.NBC
It started with ‘Sylvia,’ no doubt about it.”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:How old were you when you auditioned for the role?
OLIVIA BARASH:I was 14 or 15.
So, it’s weird because I drove.
[The audition] was at Universal.
I used to drive to there and I wasn’t supposed to drive.
My mom had a job and she let me take her car.
[Laughs] I used to drive on the freeway, and I looked like I was 12.
I didn’t know about the clown mask.
[Laughs] I knew that the character was going to be raped.
I was ready to do it.
I wanted to do something dramatic.
My mom was very overprotective.
Because it was television, we thought [it wouldn’t be as graphic].
I was not allowed to go up for movies likeThe Exorcist.
Were you a fan ofLittle House on the Prairieat the time?
I didn’t really watch the show.
[Laughs] I’m going to be honest with you.
I only saw my two episodes, and a couple of other ones that Matthew Labyorteaux did.
I knew about it, though, because it was so famous.
I knewMelissa Gilbertwas on it.
Do you remember which scene you read in the audition?
I think it was the scene with my dad, played by Royal Dano.
There was a very emotional scene when he called me a whore.
Royal was so great.
What was your first interaction with Michael Landon?
We didn’t have a table reading or anything as far as I remember.
I just went on the sets, and I was, like, in costume with him.
He was so easygoing and emotional and great.
It just completely moved the actors.
He was so, so amazing to be directed by.
Do you remember a specific scene that made him cry?
Oh gosh, when I died.
The scene with Albert.
He was crying during that scene…
I think he cried a few times, because I had some gnarly stuff going on.
[Laughs]
What was your first reaction when you saw the clown mask on set?
I was like, “Ahhh!”
I was afraid of clowns anyway!
I was afraid of clowns growing up, I had a fear of the circus and clowns.
So that worked for me…
I was considered for an Emmy nomination for my role.
I was a kid, and I didn’t really have a manager at that point.
We didn’t know how to [campaign and] parlay it into the nomination.
But I got the letter from the Academy, and it said I was being considered.
So that was kind of a big deal.
[Laughs]
Matthew Labyorteaux was a total 1980s dreamboat.
What were your impressions of him?
We went to school together, me and Matthew and Patrick, his brother.
We all went to the same private school, so we knew each other.
It was so wonderful to act with a great actor in my age group.
He was so good!
Was he your first onscreen kiss?
Both scenes where Sylvia is attacked are very scary.
As a kid, how hard was that to handle?
It wasn’t traumatizing for me because Richard Jaeckel was a really nice man also.
[Laughs] These guys were such good actors.
My mom loved to be on the set because she was a fan of both of those actors.
When we were doing scenes like those, the minute they say, “Cut!
“, everybody is like, “Are you okay?”
I was a kid.
I wonder what it was like forthem, you know?
Little Househad some dark episodes before, but this was next level.
I was supposed to be cast as a regular character.
I was going to be regular character on it.
I was supposed to marry Albert Ingalls.
They had a screening at the studio for kids, for teenagers.
And they had them rate the characters, and they listed me as the favorite character.
And she was my best friend we became best friends from the show.
An agent told me that.
Michael Landon wrote it that way and Melissa had nothing to do with it."]
Oh, so Sylvia wouldn’t have died?
I was supposed to marry him, and that was it.
What kind of reaction do you remember getting from viewers at the time?
She was hysterically crying.
Like, she wassobbingon the phone.
I was like, “Wow.
This is so crazy.”
I thought the episode was good.
It made me cry too.
People were and still are really affected by it.
I was not allowed to read my fan mail [from “Sylvia”].
My mom would see it first, and then she’d like, throw it away.
[Laughs] I was getting fan mail from San Quentin, from convicts.
It was either convicts or religious people that wanted to save me.
It’s like, my character died!
To this day, I still get weirdos, it’s still intense.
Because ofLittle House, I have this really weird fan base.
I’m this cult actress Repo Man, and all that.
It started with “Sylvia,” no doubt about it.
Did playing Sylvia help you get more dramatic roles?
I went up forFame.
I was auditioning to replace Nia Peeples, because she left the show.
I was supposed to be the new love interest.
They loved me, but they said to my agent, “She’s just too quirky.”
And that was a big deal.
Oh, and I just remembered another show that I did after that:St.
I played opposite Pauly Shore, and I played his dying girlfriend.
I was like a punk rocker, and I had cystic fibrosis.
I died in that episode.
And Howie Mandel, he was my doctor.
What are you working on now?
I’m directing, producing, and writing now.
I started this project in 2013, I’m directing a documentary about the Viper Room.
I used to work there.
I worked there after I did21 Jump Street.
Johnny [Depp] hired me after River Phoenix died.
They were going to end the club and Johnny said, “Why don’t you work here?
Be the promoter and attempt to turn it around.”
At that time, fans used to come and take pictures of the sidewalk where River died.
I said okay, and it took like a year to turn it around.
I shot 45 hours of interviews as the director.
I know a lot of people from the scene.
[Eventually] I had to put it intoturnaround.
She said, “The Viper Room’sgoing to be torn down.”
I decided I was going to pick up [the documentary] again…
I guess my last question for you is, are you still afraid of clowns?
[Laughs] Yes.
I hated clowns when I was a kid.
It’s ironic, isn’t it?
I’m not reallyafraidnow, but you know… they’re creepy!
Little House on the Prairieis streaming now onAmazon Freevee.
