Hersha Parady was born on 25 May 1945, and raised in Ohio, USA. She later became an actress, appearing on television and in the theatre.
Years later, while living in California, Hersha often used to look after a free-spirited dog named Lightening, who used to roam the streets of Hollywood. This is how Hersha came to meet and befriend actress Katherine "Scottie" MacGregor, who also looked out for the same dog! It was around that time that MacGregor was starring, as Harriet Oleson, in the television series Little House on the Prairie.
When Hersha starred in a play as Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, MacGregor and her Little House co-star Richard Bull came to see it. They were thoroughly impressed with Hersha's performance, and recommended her to the Little House casting director, as a possible new cast member.
This recommendation led to Hersha being cast as a guest star (playing Michael Landon's sister-in-law) in one episode during the third season, before being cast as a regular player in the role of Merlin Olsen's wife, Alice Garvey, for Seasons 4 - 6.
Ironically, Hersha's own personal favourite Little House episode is "May We Make Them Proud" - the one in which Alice Garvey and her friends' infant son burn to death in the blind school! Hersha relished acting in scenes containing real, controlled fire with the Los Angeles Fire Department on hand for safety reasons! On her unforgettable death scene, Hersha remarked: "At least I went out with a bang and not a whimper!"
Hersha was once married to Oscar-winning producer John Peverall, with whom she has a son named Jonathan. She currently lives in Florida and continues to act in the theatre. In July 2005, she delighted fans by attending a Little House on the Prairie reunion in Tombstone, Arizona along with many other members of the cast.
