Jack Lilley, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Stuntman and Actor, Dies at 91
Jack Lilley
Movie

Jack Lilley Known For Little House on The Prairie Passed Away At 91

Jack Lilley, a seasoned stunt performer and actor who contributed to every season of the beloved NBC drama Little House on the Prairie, has passed away at the age of 91.

Lilley, who had been battling Alzheimer’s disease, died on Wednesday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, as confirmed by his granddaughter Savanah Lilley to The Signal, a Santa Clarita-based news outlet.

In Blazing Saddles (1974), Lilley played one of the outlaws who ransacked the town of Rock Ridge. During one scene, he and his horse accidentally slid into a pool of mud and became submerged. Though unplanned, director Mel Brooks found the moment so fitting that he left it in the final cut of the film.

A Career Spanning Decades

Lilley, known for his signature mustache, first collaborated with Michael Landon on Bonanza in 1961. That long-standing professional relationship led Landon to bring him on board Little House on the Prairie in 1974, where Landon starred, directed, and served as executive producer.

Throughout the show’s run, Lilley frequently doubled for Victor French, worked with stagecoaches and wagons, and eventually became the series’ stunt coordinator.

On Instagram, Little House star Melissa Gilbert paid tribute to Lilley, calling him “one of my favorite people on the planet.” She fondly recalled how he taught her to ride a horse when she was very young.

“He was so patient with me. He never said no when I would bound up to him squealing, ‘Can we go ride? Please, please, please?’” she wrote.

From 1981 to 1983, Lilley also worked as an actor and stunt coordinator on NBC’s Father Murphy, a Little House spinoff starring Merlin Olsen and created by Landon.

From Texas to Hollywood

Born John Elwin Lilley on Aug. 15, 1933, in Hughes Springs, Texas, he was delivered in the same room where both his father and grandfather—also named John—were born. When he was 2, his family relocated to San Fernando Valley, where his father rented horses to movie studios.

Jack Lilley

Lilley landed his first job as a horseback extra at age 14 in a Durango Kid film. He also worked as an animal wrangler, handling the horses that appeared alongside Donald O’Connor in the Francis the Talking Mule movies.

After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he joined SAG in 1955 and soon found himself performing stunts and portraying a palace guard in Omar Khayyam (1957), starring Cornel Wilde. This led to steady work on ABC’s Zorro, starring Guy Williams.

A Legacy in Westerns and Hollywood

Lilley made his first appearance on CBS’ Rawhide in 1959, later reuniting with Clint Eastwood on Sudden Impact (1983) and Pink Cadillac (1989). His extensive film credits include:

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

  • Cat Ballou (1965)

  • The Rounders (1965)

  • Beau Geste (1966)

  • Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

  • Used Cars (1980)

  • Three Amigos! (1986)

  • Young Guns (1988)

  • Army of Darkness (1992)

  • Bad Girls (1994)

  • A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

  • Planet of the Apes (2001)

  • The Legend of Zorro (2005)

Beyond films, Lilley worked on CBS’ Gunsmoke from 1961 to 1974 and contributed to numerous TV westerns, including:

Training Hollywood’s Finest

An accomplished animal trainer, Lilley not only taught Melissa Gilbert how to ride but also worked with Billy Crystal for City Slickers (1991). His company, Movin’ On Livestock, supplied animals for that film.

Despite spending over 50 years as a stuntman, Lilley once remarked that the worst injury he ever suffered was merely a broken nose.

Survived by His Family

Lilley is survived by his three sons: Clay, Clint, and Ben—with Clay and Clint following in their father’s footsteps as stunt professionals. He also leaves behind five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

His wife, Irene, whom he married in 1957, passed away in May at the age of 95.