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It’s an exciting time for actor/producer/director Dean Butler, who is best known for playing Almanzo Wilder on the long running television family drama, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. Even though he left the Prairie in 1983 Dean has remained close to the series and is very proud of his association with the Laura Ingalls Wilder drama. In fact Dean continues to appear at events related to the series. Little House journeys have included visits to Mansfield Missouri, Walnut Grove, Minnesota, and an upcoming visit to the 2004 "Laura Day" in Burr Oak, Iowa. Following Little House Dean starred in THE NEW GIDGET, a situation comedy in which he played Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin, the husband of America’s favorite surfer girl. He also played Buffy’s often absent father, Hank, for seven seasons on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. On the legitimate 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. On the big screen Dean starred as the man who lost the girl to the girl in the groundbreaking relationship drama, DESERT HEARTS. Beginning in the early 1990’s Dean began the process of transforming himself to embrace opportunities behind the camera. From sports to drama and documentary Dean travels throughout the United States and around the world capturing the stories of people who live their lives on the edge. Most recently Dean shot in the Philippines and Iwo Jima for a new DISCOVERY series featuring veterans returning to the battle fields that changed their lives entitled, GOIN BACK. Other projects include INSIDE CART for ESPN, promotional films that support American Honda’s Indy Car racing program, and development of programming in support of the United States Olympic Committee. 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. He is currently a contributing producer to FOREVER STUDIOS; an innovative media company that creates and distributes personal documentaries to a global audience through the Internet. Dean was born in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada while his father was serving in the United States Airforce following the Korean War. Although Dean is proud of his duel American/Canadian citizenship he grew up and went through school in Piedmont, California, as part of a fifth generation California family whose ancestors arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area prior to the gold rush of 1849. Dean received his BA in Communication Arts in 1979 from University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He is married to actress/designer, Katherine Cannon, whom he met during her successful audition for the Little House spin-off, FATHER MURPHY. Katherine and Dean live in the Westwood area of Los Angeles with their orange cat, Bobo. His hobbies include photography and gardening.
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