Dean Butler

Dean Butler is an actor and producer who rose to fame playing Almanzo Wilder on the popular family drama show Little House on the Prairie. He is now an accomplished producer of sports, entertainment and documentary programs, producing Feherty for the Golf Channel starring former professional golfer and broadcaster David Feherty.

Born in Prince George, USA, Butler was raised in California and won his first acting role in TV series The Streets of San Francisco. In 1978 he won his first movie role in Forever, but it was his portrayal of Alamanzo Wilder in well-loved series Little House on the Prairie that brought Butler to the attention of viewers in American and around the world. Butler starred in four seasons of Little House on the Prairie as well as three post-series movies and spin-off Little House: A New Beginning. After the show ended he landed roles as Buffy’s father in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Jeff ‘Moondoggie’ Griffin in The New Gidget. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Butler appeared on numerous television series including The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote, and also enjoyed a stage career appearing in West Side Story and Into the Woods on Broadway.

After a successful career in front of the camera, Butler has now turned his hand to producing documentaries, sports and entertainment. He was the co-executive producer for PBS show Pa’s Fiddle:The Music of America, and has written, narrated, directed and produced several bonus features for Little House on the Prairie collections on DVD. He has produced two documentaries inspired by the Little House novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura and Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder.