Dean Butler was born on May 20, 1956 in Prince George, BC, Canada. He is a producer and actor best known to audiences for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder from 1979 to 1983 on the iconic pioneer drama, Little House on the Prairie. He co-starred in the feature film, Desert Hearts, played Moondoggie in the syndicated The New Gidget, and Buffy's dad, Hank Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On Broadway Dean played Rapunzal's Prince in the original company of Into the Woods, toured internationally as Tony in West Side Story, and appeared with Carol Burnett in a regional production of Company.
From 2011 to 2020 Dean was the Senior Producer of NBC Golf's Emmy nominated entertainment/sports series, Feherty. In 2024 Dean is serving as the producer of the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion & Festival in Simi Valley and will release his first book, a memoir and look back at 50 years of Little House entitled "Prairie Man: My Little House Life and Beyond." Dean lives in Los Angeles and this year will celebrate the twenty third anniversary of his marriage to actress Katherine Cannon.