Vale: Katherine MacGregor

US actress Katherine “Scottie” MacGregor, best known for Little House on the Prairie, has died aged 93.

She died on Tuesday at her home according to US reports.

MacGregor played mean-spirited local, Harriet Oleson on Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1982.

After being cast in the occasional guest role she began to inject humour into her character.

“Anyone that mean has to be a fool,” she once told NBC. “So I began mixing farce into it.”

Her other credits included Ironside, All in the Family, Mannix and Emergency.

Former Little House cast members mourning her death. Her TV daughter, Alison Arngrim, tweeted a photo of them both while Melissa Gilbert paid tribute on Instagram.

“I just got word that Katherine MacGregor passed away yesterday,” she wrote. “This woman taught me so much… about acting… vintage jewelry…life. She was outspoken and hilariously funny. A truly gifted actress as she was able to play a despicable character but with so much heart. Her Harriet Oleson was the woman our fans loved to hate. A perfect antagonist.”

“The thing people outside of our prairie family didn’t know, was how loving and nurturing she was with the younger cast,” she continued. “I really loved her and I find great comfort knowing that she is at peace and, per her beliefs, her soul has moved on to its next incarnation. Farewell Scottie. I hope with all my heart we meet again next time.”

Source: People