The untold story of 'Sylvia,' the most WTF episode of Little House on the Prairie ever
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Little House on the Prairie was never afraid to bring the trauma. Whether telling stories about alcoholism, anti-Semitism, and racism, or letting Mary's baby and Alice Garvey burn to death in a fire at the school for the blind (sob!), the long-running family drama didn't always equate "wholesome" with "easy to watch."
Never was that more apparent than with "Sylvia," which premiered Feb. 9, 1981 — 42 years ago today. The two-part episode, written and directed by Little House leading man Michael Landon, starred Olivia Barash as a beautiful and shy young girl who — there's no easy way to say this — is raped by a man in a very, very creepy clown mask. Her resulting pregnancy makes Sylvia a pariah to everyone in Walnut Grove except for kindhearted Albert Ingalls (Matthew Labyorteaux), who vows to marry her and raise the baby as his own.
Alas, Sylvia and her true love never got their happily ever after. When the sinister clown rapist — who was later revealed to be Walnut Grove's friendly blacksmith, Irv, played by Richard Jaeckel — attempted to attack Sylvia again, she fell from a ladder while trying to escape and then died from her injuries. (Like we said, this two-parter was dark.)
NBC Olivia Barash and Richard Jaeckel in the 'Little House on the Prairie' episode 'Sylvia'
Not only was "Sylvia" a hit with Little House viewers — part 2, which aired on Feb. 16, was the third most-watched show of the week — it marked a major career milestone for Barash. Already a seasoned stage and screen actress by the age of 12, Barash had an impressive resume of comedic TV roles, including guest spots on Soap, Charlie's Angels, Alice, and the short-lived Norman Lear sitcom In the Beginning. The actress was ready to prove she could handle drama — and it doesn't get more dramatic than "Sylvia."
"The thing that was great about it was that it was a dramatic role. So, it was great for me to show my chops," Barash tells EW. "That was a plus. I didn't realize how much it would affect people." After her memorable turn on Little House, the actress continued to work steadily in TV and film, landing the breakout role of Leila in the 1984 cult classic Repo Man and starring as Maxine in the final season of NBC's Fame. But four decades later, viewers still can't stop talking about her turn as Sylvia Webb. "Because of Little House, I have this really weird fan by base," says Barash. "I'm this cult actress — Repo Man, and all that. It started with 'Sylvia,' no doubt about it."
The actress/musician/director/writer was kind enough to share her Little House memories with EW, including what it was like to be directed by Landon, her first reaction when she saw that terrifying clown mask, and why she wasn't allowed to read her "Sylvia" fan mail.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How old were you when you auditioned for the role?
OLIVIA BARASH: I was 14 or 15. So, it's weird — because I drove. [The audition] was at Universal. I used to drive to there and I wasn't supposed to drive. My mom had a job and she let me take her car. It was crazy. [Laughs] I used to drive on the freeway, and I looked like I was 12.
Did you know you'd be playing a girl who was going to be raped by a guy in a creepy clown mask?
I didn't know about the clown mask. [Laughs] I knew that the character was going to be raped. I was ready to do it. I wanted to do something dramatic. My mom was very overprotective. Because it was television, we thought [it wouldn't be as graphic]. I was not allowed to go up for movies like The Exorcist.
Were you a fan of Little House on the Prairie at the time?
I didn't really watch the show. [Laughs] I'm going to be honest with you. I only saw my two episodes, and a couple of other ones that Matthew Labyorteaux did. I knew about it, though, because it was so famous. I knew Melissa Gilbert was on it.
NBC Royal Dano and Olivia Barash in 'Little House on the Prairie'
Do you remember which scene you read in the audition?
I think it was the scene with my dad, played by Royal Dano. There was a very emotional scene when he called me a whore. Royal was so great. He was so scary when we did the scene, but he was such a sweetheart — the nicest guy who was a really good actor.
What was your first interaction with Michael Landon?
On the set. We didn't have a table reading or anything as far as I remember. I just went on the sets, and I was, like, in costume with him. He was so easygoing and emotional and great. He was one of one of my favorite directors because he would cry behind the camera, and I could feel that and it made [my performance] so much better. It just completely moved the actors. He was so, so amazing to be directed by.
Do you remember a specific scene that made him cry?
Oh gosh, when I died. The scene with Albert. That was tough. He was crying during that scene… I think he cried a few times, because I had some gnarly stuff going on. [Laughs]
What was your first reaction when you saw the clown mask on set?
I was like, "Ahhh!" It scared me. I was afraid of clowns anyway! I was afraid of clowns growing up, I had a fear of the circus and clowns. So that worked for me… I was considered for an Emmy nomination for my role. I was a kid, and I didn't really have a manager at that point. We didn't know how to [campaign and] parlay it into the nomination. But I got the letter from the Academy, and it said I was being considered. So that was kind of a big deal. [Laughs]
Matthew Labyorteaux was a total 1980s dreamboat. What were your impressions of him?
We went to school together, me and Matthew and Patrick, his brother. We all went to the same private school, so we knew each other. It was so wonderful to act with a great actor in my age group. He was fantastic. I remember him making me cry — I think it was in that death scene, when Albert starts to cry and is agreeing that we're going to have those flowers at the wedding. He was so good!
Was he your first onscreen kiss?
I think so.
Both scenes where Sylvia is attacked are very scary. As a kid, how hard was that to handle?
It wasn't traumatizing for me because Richard Jaeckel was a really nice man also. [Laughs] These guys were such good actors. My mom loved to be on the set because she was a fan of both of those actors. When we were doing scenes like those, the minute they say, "Cut!", everybody is like, "Are you okay?" I was a kid. I wonder what it was like for them, you know?
Little House had some dark episodes before, but this was next level.
It really was. I was supposed to be cast as a regular character. I was going to be regular character on it. I was supposed to marry Albert Ingalls. They had a screening at the studio for kids, for teenagers. And they had them rate the characters, and they listed me as the favorite character. Melissa Gilbert was a silent producer, and I was told that she didn't want it — it was not going to work out. And she was my best friend — we became best friends from the show. I have no idea if it was true or not, but the ratings were really high for my character. An agent told me that. [A representative for Gilbert tells EW that the actress recalls having a friendly relationship with Barash, adding, "It was a two-part storyline that ended with Sylvia's death. Michael Landon wrote it that way and Melissa had nothing to do with it."]
Oh, so Sylvia wouldn't have died?
I was supposed to marry him, and that was it. But yes, I died… Now there's all this fan fiction, people writing about me and Albert getting married and having kids and all that stuff.
Francis Juarez Olivia Barash
What kind of reaction do you remember getting from viewers at the time?
I remember we were watching it [when] it was on TV, and my best friend Margaret called me crying at the end. She was hysterically crying. Like, she was sobbing on the phone. I was like, "Wow. This is so crazy." I thought the episode was good. It made me cry too. A couple other friends called, and they were really freaked out, so I knew I did a good job. People were — and still are — really affected by it.
I was not allowed to read my fan mail [from "Sylvia"]. My mom would see it first, and then she'd like, throw it away. [Laughs] I was getting fan mail from San Quentin, from convicts. It was either convicts or religious people that wanted to save me. It's like, my character died! To this day, I still get weirdos, it's still intense. Because of Little House, I have this really weird fan base. I'm this cult actress — Repo Man, and all that. It started with "Sylvia," no doubt about it.
Did playing Sylvia help you get more dramatic roles?
Yeah, absolutely. I went up for Fame. I was auditioning to replace Nia Peeples, because she left the show. I was supposed to be the new love interest. I blew them away on the audition because I brought a piano player with me, and we did a really beautiful Elton John song. I think it was "We All Fall in Love Sometimes," and I read a very dramatic scene. They loved me, but they said to my agent, "She's just too quirky." Then I get a call, like, a month later or something, and they said they decided to write me in the show. And that was a big deal.
Oh, and I just remembered another show that I did after that: St. Elsewhere. I played opposite Pauly Shore, and I played his dying girlfriend. I was like a punk rocker, and I had cystic fibrosis. I died in that episode. And Howie Mandel, he was my doctor.
NBC Pauly Shore, Olivia Barash, and Howie Mandell in 'St. Elsewhere'
What are you working on now?
I'm directing, producing, and writing now. I started this project in 2013, I'm directing a documentary about the Viper Room. I used to work there. I worked there after I did 21 Jump Street. Johnny [Depp] hired me after River Phoenix died. They were going to close the club and Johnny said, "Why don't you work here? Be the promoter and try to turn it around." At that time, fans used to come and take pictures of the sidewalk where River died. I said okay, and it took like a year to turn it around. Later, my ex-boyfriend said to me, "Why don't you make a documentary about the Viper Room?"
I shot 45 hours of interviews as the director. I know a lot of people from the scene. [Eventually] I had to put it into turnaround. Then all of a sudden, I got this message on my Facebook from a girl who is a fan of mine. She said, "The Viper Room's going to be torn down." I decided I was going to pick up [the documentary] again… I'm working with these new producers, and they want me to do the documentary because The Viper Room is being torn down.
I guess my last question for you is, are you still afraid of clowns?
[Laughs] Yes. I hated clowns when I was a kid. It's ironic, isn't it? I'm not really afraid now, but you know… they're creepy!
Little House on the Prairie is streaming now on Amazon Freevee.
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