Production has wrapped on Season 2 of Little House on the Prairie, and the Ingalls family’s new neighborhood is filling up, including one resident sure to stir up trouble.

Willa Dunn joins the cast as the legendary troublemaker Nellie Oleson, Laura’s (Alice Halsey) most formidable foe, alongside Rachelle Lefevre (North by North, Liz Here Now) as local schoolteacher Eva Beadle, and Charlotte Sullivan (Law & Order: Organized Crime, FBI) as Margaret Oleson, Nellie’s mother.

Charlotte Sullivan

PHOTO BY VANESSA HEINS

On the surface, Nellie is a world-class spoiled princess and playground bully. Smart and supremely confident, sharp-tongued but easily wounded, Nellie is full of contradictions. One thing is certain: She lives and breathes to make Laura miserable. Yet beneath her mean-girl persona lies a tenderness and yearning for true friendship — even if she doesn’t know exactly how to get it. She’s played by Dunn, who is known for turns in Poker Face, Coup!, Inside Amy Schumer, and Only Murders in the Building, in which she plays Little Loretta (Meryl Streep’s character). 

Nellie’s mom, Margaret, is beautiful, high-energy, charming, and unfiltered with a quick wit and a tendency toward gallows humor. She adores her daughter fiercely and completely, but also fears losing her love.

Rachelle Lefevre

PHOTO BY WILL LURIE

Meanwhile, Mary and Laura immediately adore the town’s schoolteacher, Eva Beadle, who is open-minded, passionate, forthright, brave, well-educated, well-read, adventurous, generous of spirit, and a world traveler.

Beyond the schoolhouse, the Ingalls will meet more of their new neighbors in Walnut Grove and welcome another family member. Joining the cast are:

• David Wronko as Thomas Perry, the whip-smart son of the town’s wealthiest family.
• Elyse Levesque as Emma Perry, Thomas’s refined, charitable mother.
• Paul Greene as Luther Perry, Thomas’s father and the town’s ambitious grain buyer and banker.
• Erik Athavale as Reverend Alden, the town’s warm and progressive reverend.
• Ryan Northcott as William Oleson, the even-tempered owner of Walnut Grove’s finest store.
• Graham Harvey as Johnny Johnson, a gentle farm boy and son of Norwegian immigrants.
• Jacinta Forest Lewitski as Hannah Walker, a dry-witted farm manager with a soft spot for outsiders.
• Lyla Porter-Follows as Lena Nelson, an optimistic young widow running the farm left to her by her husband.
• Martin Roach as Simon Hughes, a Civil War veteran, widower, and local blacksmith who serves as a peacemaker in the community.
• Scott Porter as Peter Ingalls, Charles Ingalls’s handsome, charming older brother and the responsible sibling who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys, Vampire Diaries, Archive 81) helms the new take on the American classic. “All of our incredible cast additions this year have made this season in Walnut Grove absolutely magical,” Sonnenshine tells Netflix. “I’m so grateful to our hard-working crew, who worked tirelessly to make this new chapter come to life, and our partners at CBS Studios, Anonymous Content, and Netflix for being our unwavering champions.” Sonnenshine also showruns and executive produces. Also executive producing are Joy Gorman Wettels for Joy Coalition, Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions, and Dana Fox.

Since its original publication in the 1930s, the Little House book series and brand have remained a constant in the global zeitgeist. The classic novels have sold over 73 million copies in more than 100 countries, and have been translated into at least 27 languages. Most recently, 50 years after the 1974 show debuted, Nielsen reports that fans of all generations have embraced the nostalgic series, which garnered an astonishing 13.25 billion minutes of viewing in 2024 alone.

Stay tuned to Tudum for more updates on Little House on the Prairie Season 2.