If you grew up watching Little House on the Prairie, you definitely remember the opening credits. A little girl in a pink dress and a sunbonnet runs down a lush, green hill, trips, and face-plants into the grass. It’s iconic. It’s adorable. Honestly, it's one of the most famous bloopers in television history that actually made the final cut.
But here’s the thing: most people still think that was just one girl.
The reality? It was actually a pair of identical twins, Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, who shared the role of Carrie Ingalls for nearly a decade. They were barely three years old when they started. By the time they left the show in 1982, they had spent the majority of their childhoods on the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley. And then, almost overnight, they just... vanished from Hollywood.
People always ask what happened. Did they burn out? Did the industry chew them up? It’s actually a lot more "normal" than that, though there’s a bit of heartbreak mixed in there too.
The "Lindsay Sidney" Mystery Explained
For years, the credits listed them as "Lindsay Sidney Greenbush." It was confusing. Fans thought it was a double first name, like Mary Lou. In reality, the producers just mashed their names together to save space or maybe to keep the "illusion" that Carrie was played by one person.
They alternated scenes constantly. If one was tired or fussy, the other stepped in. This is standard for child actors (think the Olsen twins), but for Lindsay and Sidney, it meant they grew up living a double life. One minute they were regular kids in Malibu, the next they were 19th-century pioneers dealing with locusts and blizzards.
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That Famous Hill Trip
About that fall in the opening credits—it wasn't scripted. Sidney was the one who took the tumble. She had her shoes on the wrong feet, and when she started running, she couldn't keep her balance. Michael Landon, who directed and starred as Pa Ingalls, loved the shot because it felt "real." It captured the clumsy, sweet essence of a toddler.
So, they kept it. Every week for nine seasons, millions of people watched Sidney eat dirt.
Why They Left the Prairie Behind
By season eight, things were getting weird. Lindsay and Sidney were twelve years old, but the writers were still treating Carrie like she was six. While Laura (Melissa Gilbert) was getting married and Mary was navigating life as a teacher, Carrie was stuck in "perpetual little girl" mode.
The twins have admitted in recent interviews that it was frustrating. They were growing up, but their character wasn't. When the Ingalls family (minus Laura) moved to Iowa in the storyline, the Greenbush twins were effectively written out.
Honestly? They were ready to go.
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Leaving the show felt like a "tragic loss" to Rachel (who goes by her middle name, Lindsay). She recently told People that it felt like her parents were getting divorced. She didn't see the cast anymore. The "family" she had worked with every day for nine years was just... gone. It’s a heavy thing for a 12-year-old to process. You go from being a TV star to a regular junior high student who has to worry about math tests and social cliques.
Life After Walnut Grove
A lot of child stars spiral. They don't.
They did a few more things—a Doublemint gum commercial, a Mattel ad. Lindsay guest-starred on Matt Houston. Sidney did a movie called Hambone and Hillie with Alan Hale Jr. (the Skipper from Gilligan's Island). But by the time they hit high school, the auditions dried up, or the interest did. They graduated from Santa Monica High in 1988 and just... moved on.
- Lindsay became an accountant. She got her degree from California Lutheran University. She still does some theater here and there—she was even in The Vagina Monologues with Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) back in 2018.
- Sidney went a completely different route. She fell in love with horses. She joined the Pierce College Rodeo Team and eventually went into professional Women's Rodeo. Later, she worked in residential construction administration.
The Incredible Wedding Under the Oak Tree
This is the part that sounds like a movie script, but it’s 100% real.
Back in 1977, when they were filming on the ranch, a local teenager named Danny Sanchez used to hang around the set. Michael Landon actually gave him permission to watch them film. He and Lindsay met when she was just a little kid and he was a teen.
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Fast forward thirty years. They reconnect through a mutual friend. They fall in love. In 2014, they got married.
The venue? The exact same spot at Big Sky Ranch where they first met decades earlier. They stood under the same oak tree that was visible in the background of so many Little House scenes. If that isn't a "full circle" moment, I don't know what is.
Where Are the Greenbush Twins Now?
As of 2026, both sisters are in their mid-50s. They aren't chasing the limelight, but they haven't turned their backs on their legacy either. You’ll often see them at 50th-anniversary reunions or fan conventions.
They’ve both faced some real-life "prairie" struggles, too. Sidney tragically lost her husband, William "Rocky" Foster, in 2009. She’s also spent time as a caretaker for their mother before she passed.
They aren't "Hollywood" anymore. They’re regular women who happen to have been part of something massive. Lindsay has mentioned that her own grandkids didn't even know she was on the show until they were about eight. Now, they watch the old episodes together.
What You Can Learn From Their Journey
The Greenbush twins are a masterclass in how to transition out of child stardom without losing your mind.
- Education is the safety net. They both pivoted to "normal" careers (accounting and administration) when the acting roles stopped coming.
- Community matters. They stayed close with the Little House cast, especially Alison Arngrim. Having people who "get it" is vital.
- Legacy is what you make of it. Instead of being bitter about being "sidelined" in later seasons, they embrace the joy the show still brings to fans today.
If you’re a fan looking to reconnect with that nostalgia, the best thing you can do is check out the Little House Fifty for 50 podcast or keep an eye out for cast reunions. These women are incredibly grounded, and hearing them talk about Michael Landon or the "hill fall" today is like catching up with an old friend.