Jason Bateman Says He Was Hazed on ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Set — Then Got Revenge

Actor Jason Bateman suggested that he didn’t always have the best time filming the classic series, The Little House on the Prairie.

Entertainment Weekly reported that Bateman briefly spoke about playing Charles (Michael Landon) and Caroline Ingalls’ (Karen Grassle) adoptive son, James Cooper Ingalls, in the show’s 7th and 8th seasons while on a September 2025 episode of Hot Ones, hosted by Sean Evans. The series, which premiered in 1974, ended after its 9th season, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.

During the Hot Ones interview, Evans asked Bateman, who was 11 when he filmed The Little House on the Prairie, if it was true that the older child actors “played an April Fools joke on [him] by telling [him] that [his] character had died.” Bateman replied that while that was “untrue,” he was bullied by his slightly older cast members.

“What they did do was, they pinned me down on the ground, straddled me with knees on my shoulders, and gave me noogies or whatever they call it on my chest,” said Bateman.

When Evans asked, “There was a hazing ritual on Little House on the Prairie?” Bateman replied, “Yeah. They knocked on my chest like I was a front door.”

He was quick to clarify he ended up getting some revenge with the help of a makeup artist.

“And then I went to the makeup artist and said, ‘Put a big black-and-blue mark all over my chest.’ And then I went to their parents and I said, ‘Look what your kids did to me.’ And that was good. I got them in trouble,” said Bateman during the interview.

Jason Bateman Shared That He Appreciated Michael Landon

In a February 2025 interview on Conan O’Brien‘s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Bateman said he felt inspired by late actor Michael Landon when he was on the Little House on the Prairie set. He noted that Landon not only starred as Charles, AKA Pa, but also was a producer, director, and writer for the show. According to Bateman, “everybody loved him” on the set.

“His ease with people, the business, the process,” said Bateman during the interview.

In addition, he said Landon was a “kind” but “stern” boss when he needed to be on set. Bateman said he has mirrored that behavior when he has helmed projects.

This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.