Patrick Labyorteaux was 13 years old when he first appeared on “Little House on the Prairie” as Andy Garvey. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia less than a month after birth, and his adopted brother, Matthew, was 11 at the time.
Matthew joined the series that year, as Albert, a street urchin who the Ingalls took in. Michael Landon noted at the time that he picked the two boys for their acting abilities as well as their physical appearance.
Nevertheless, Landon noticed that the two boys were distinct, both on and off-screen. The actress stated that the couple had a “sensitivity” that was most likely due to their history.
Matthew was not even meant to perform! He accompanied Patrick to a United Way audition, where a woman asked if he desired to take a screen test, which caused his elder brother to fear.
Patrick warned the woman that Matthew would scream if he was touched, but the younger kid startled him by following her into a room. In “A Woman Under the Influence,” the younger Labyorteaux son played Peter Falk’s kid.
Landon joined “Little House” in 1986, and he remembered a commitment he’d made to pals whose kid perished in a car accident. He pledged that if he met a kid with the same attributes as their son Albert, he’d give him the same name.
When the Ingalls moved to Winoka, Matthew joined the cast. Aside from being adopted as a youngster, the younger Labyorteaux son battled with a variety of personal challenges.
When Patrick and his brother joined “Little House,” they had the support of their adoptive parents, Frankie and Ron Labyorteaux. Ron was an interior designer, and his wife had previously worked as an actor.
Patrick was diagnosed with schizophrenia at three weeks old, according to Frankie, since his “high-strung” activity led him to struggle to keep food down. He was famished and fatigued when he arrived with his new parents.
His mom claimed that when strangers tried to touch him, he would break out in cold sweats; nevertheless, with plenty of love and a soft but firm hand, Patrick’s symptoms vanished after a few years. The couple’s experience with him prompted them to adopt another kid, Matthew.
Frankie remembered the adoption agency informing them that Matthew was born with a hole in his heart yet that it would mend on its own. But, the government declined to recognize his autism, and he couldn’t walk or communicate until he was five years old.
For months, Frankie sat on the floor with a crying toddler, attempting to quiet him by assuring him she loved him no matter what! Psychiatrists and other medical specialists did not believe Matthew would ever be normal.
Patrick started acting therapy at the age of seven and went on to become a professional, appearing in commercials for Cheerios and McDonald’s. Frenkie had a stroke a few years ago, and her spouse had a potentially fatal but undetected condition.
Considering their health concerns, the parents were encouraged by their boys’ achievements. People recognized the brothers despite their dissimilar appearances (one had blue eyes, the other brown).
Melissa Gilbert of “Little House on the Prairie” once urged Patrick that he and Matthew shouldn’t quarrel, but they didn’t. Frankie said they’d gone through too much negative to be spiteful, and Matthew was now prospering despite a rocky start.
Matthew has been married to Leslie Labyorteaux since July 17, 2020, and they have 2 kids in 2022. In a 2021 interview, the actor reminisced how “Little House on the Prairie” was a fan favorite with charming and emotional stories that he saw with his step kids.
He mentioned that his goddaughter and his friends’ kids went through stages of watching the series as well. Matthew, who will be 56 on December 8, 2022, said it was nice to share the concert and memories with others.
When questioned if he was on social media, the actor said he wasn’t “huge” on it and amazed at how well-versed his kids, nieces, and nephews were on the platforms. It was lost on him, and he never had a cause to attempt to comprehend it.
