Dean Butler

Dean Butler, is best known to audiences all over the world for his portrayal of Almanzo James Wilder on the long running television family drama, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. The 210-hour family drama, which starred Michael Landon, has been called one of the finest family dramas in television history. The popularity of the “Little House” series has kept it on the air throughout the world continually since its premiere on NBC in 1974. Now the series runs on three different cable channels domestically and is also available on DVD. Dean’s company, Legacy Documentaries, has produced nearly 8 hours of DVD bonus content for Little House on the Prairie DVD releases as well as an original documentary, ALMANZO WILDER: LIFE BEFORE LAURA, which was released in 2008. 

 

Following Little House, Dean starred as Jeff “Moondoggie” Griffin, the husband of America’s favorite little surfer girl, in THE NEW GIDGET. He also played Buffy’s often-absent father, Hank Summers, on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. On the big screen, Dean starred as the man who lost the girl to the girl in the groundbreaking feature film, DESERT HEARTS. 

 

On the legitimate stage, Dean starred internationally as Tony in the Jerome Robbins classic, WESTSIDE STORY; on Broadway as Rapunzal’s Prince in Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS; and with Carol Burnett in a southern California production of another Sondheim classic, COMPANY. 

 

Dean ‘s work as a writer, producer, director, and cameraman has included the U.S. OLYMPIC HALL OF FAME for NBC and GOIN’ BACK for Discovery Military Channel and INSIDE CART for ESPN2.    

Since 1995 Dean has been producing LEGACY DOCUMENTARIES -- non-broadcast programming for individuals, companies and organizations created to preserve personal and organizational stories of life, love, and accomplishment for present and future generations. Legacy Documentaries has collaborated, created, and produced projects for Yale University, Imavision, American Honda, T-Mobile, The U.S. Navy Blue Angels, The United States Olympic Committee, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and The Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell Scholarship Foundation.