Jack Lilley, 'Little House on the Prairie' actor, dies at 91

Jack Lilley, the actor and stuntman best known for his roles on "Little House on the Prairie," has died. 

His son, Clint Lilley, told Fox News Digital that the actor died "peacefully in his sleep" at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in Calabasas, California on Wednesday, March 19. He was 91. 

Jack Lilley’s career

The backstory:

Lilley played multiple roles on "Little House on the Prairie," his fellow "Little House" star Melissa Gilbert said. His main role was as a stagecoach driver often seen transporting the characters in between towns on a horse-drawn carriage.

RELATED: 'Rosetta' actress dies of rare cancer at 43, report says

The Hollywood actor worked on the popular 1970s television series and was featured in several made-for-television movies in the "Little House" franchise, including "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday" in 1983 and "The Last Farewell" and "Bless All the Dear Children," both of which aired in 1984, Fox News Digital reports. 

"Aside from being Victor French’s photo double, he was featured prominently in many different roles on Little House. You can also see his absolute brilliance in the film Blazing Saddles," Gilbert wrote on Instagram. 

Gilbert said she and Lilley reconnected in 2002 for a western pilot for ABC. 

"I walked to the set itself and before I could even focus I heard a familiar voice holler, ‘Hey Halfpint, you old rat-ass!!!’" Gilbert recalled. "It was Jack. He was our wrangler for that pilot. "In that instant, I knew I was home."

According to USA Today, Lilley moved to Los Angeles from Texas as a child so his father could rent horses to movie studios. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a stuntman and has credits in more than 280 films. Lilley’s son Clay still runs the Movin' On Livestock motion picture horse rental business from New Mexico. 

Jack Lilley tributes

What they're saying:

"He was one of a kind," Clint Lilley said. "We got a glimpse of the old Hollywood … because he came out of that … and seen the transition. He’s seen so much change in the industry and we were kind of raised around it as little kids. We got to see when it was done back in the day, compared to now.

"He taught us, we had to work for it and nothing was going to be handed to you, you have to go get it … he made sure [of] that …," he continued. "I'm thankful for that, because he wanted to make sure that we were grounded. He wanted to make sure that [we know] … it's a privilege, it’s a blessing to be in the industry … I'm forever grateful for that."

Gilbert shared a lengthy tribute to Lilley on Instagram, calling him "one of my favorite people on the planet."

"He taught me how to ride a horse when I was just a wee little thing. He was so patient with me. He never said no when I would bound up to him squealing, ‘Can we go ride? Please, please, please?’" she said. "Jack always felt like home to me. He lived quite a life. I am so lucky that he was my friend."

His son Clay also posted a moving tribute to his father on social media. 

"The card shark, the horse trader, the wrangler, the man with a story for everything, he always knew someone who could help if he couldn't, known to many as friend, storyteller, joker, and a heck of a horseman, and his favorite, PAPA," Clay Lilley wrote. "You left one heck of a mark on this world, Papa. Your laugh and spark in your eyes when you saw the ones you loved will stay with us forever."