Michael Landon Died Only Weeks After This Final 'Carson' Appearance

The charismatic 'Little House' star joked about tabloid rumors in this heartwarming interview.

Little House On The Prairie star Michael Landon announced he had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer in April 1991. As Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on the show, later recounted in her memoir, Landon stayed true to himself while making the announcement.

She writes, "Mike invited the press to his house and revealed his illness and determination to fight it. It was so characteristic of him to deliver the news on his own terms and try to keep the tabloids from printing rumors."

Related: Melissa Gilbert Reflects on Life Lessons from Little House on the Prairie That Still Help Us Today

Months later, veteran evening talk show host Johnny Carson was battling his own personal tragedy: his son, Richard Wolcott Carson, was killed in a car crash on June 21 of the same year. Landon was one of the first people who called Carson, something the host mentioned on the show ahead of the actor's appearance. He said, "This has been a devastating week for me and my family. Michael called last Monday expressing his deepest sympathy on the death of my son Ricky."

Viewers were surprised by how clear it was that Landon was struggling with his health, and moved by how high his spirits were. He even joked about headlines that insisted he wanted to have a 10th child with his wife, Cindy, before he passed. As Landon says in the clip, "I mean, I got 9 kids, 9 dogs, 3 grandkids, one in the oven, and my wife Cindy needs something to remember me by?"

Landon died on July 1, 1991, just weeks after his visit with Carson.

Watch the heartwarming clip.

Next, Melissa Gilbert Says There's a Little Bit of Michael Landon in Her Work Today