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‘Little House on the Prairie’ star had no idea he was a teen idol
Melissa Gilbert is remembering the late Treat Williams for his generosity.
The “Little House on the Prairie” alum shared a heartwarming story about the “Everwood” star following his death in a motorcycle accident, revealing how he extended an act of kindness toward her years ago.
Calling Williams her “childhood crush,” Gilbert explained on Instagram Tuesday that she was filming a movie in Toronto when she received word that her best friend’s son had died suddenly at the age of 16.
She “wanted desperately” to be at the memorial service, but there were “no flights” that would get her home on time.
The actress, 59, remembered being “desperate and borderline hysterical” while pleading with her managers to “find someone with a plane.”
That’s when Williams stepped in.
“It turned out that Treat owned a charter company,” she recalled. “I was prepared to blow my whole paycheck to charter one of his planes but Treat, upon hearing why I needed the plane, sent it to me, basically gratis. I paid the pilots’ salary. That’s all.”
When Gilbert got on the airliner, she discovered that the “Hair” actor had stocked it with food “and had a desk set up where [she] could write [her] eulogy.”
“He’d even sent a note offering his condolences,” she shared.
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The “Miracle Worker” star eventually got to meet Williams a few years later and thank him in person, noting, “He was so humble about it.”
“Treat’s help that day was invaluable, not just to me but to many, many people. None of us will forget his kindness and humanity. Especially me. Oh how you are loved and oh how you will be missed… Dearest Treat my friend and childhood crush, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” she concluded her tribute.
Williams died unexpectedly Monday in Vermont after a motorcycle accident.
“I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented,” his rep told People.
“He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of Hollywood since the late 1970s. He was really proud of his performance this year. He’s been so happy with the work that I got him. He’s had a balanced career.”
The “Chesapeake Shores” star is survived by his wife, Pam Van Sant, whom he married in 1988, and their two children, Gill and Elinor.
The “beyond devastated” family shared a statement after his death, saying, “Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.”
Celebrities, including Matt Bomer and Kim Cattrall, have also expressed their heartbreak over Williams’ death.
“This is a tough one, and I don’t like doing this on social media, but I want to share what an absolute treasure Treat Williams was- both as an actor and a person,” said Bomer, who played the late actor’s son in “White Collar.”
