Melissa Ellen Gilbert (born May 8, 1964) is an American actress and television director.

Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s, appearing in numerous commercials and guest starring roles on television. From 1974 to 1984, she starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls (played by Michael Landon) on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. During the run of Little House, Gilbert appeared in several popular television films, including The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker.

She played Teresa Janovitch in the revival series episode "Relativity Theory". Archive footage of this appearance was later used in the clip show "Final Appeal".

Both her ex-husband Bruce Boxleitner and her current husband Timothy Busfield also made guest appearances on the series.