# Crosby Fitzgerald
**Crosby Fitzgerald** is an American actress and comedian from Atlanta, Georgia, best known for playing Sylvia in the Apple TV+ series *Palm Royale* (2024) and [Caroline Ingalls](https://www.edgepedia.org/caroline-ingalls) in Netflix's 2026 adaptation of *Little House on the Prairie*.[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) She was 36 years old when the series premiered in July 2026.[2](https://www.aol.ca/articles/little-house-star-crosby-fitzgerald-120000000.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signature role | Caroline Ingalls ("Ma") in Netflix's *Little House on the Prairie*, series regular, premiered 9 July 2026[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) |
| Breakout | Sylvia in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama *Palm Royale* (2024), 5 episodes[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/335404/crosby-fitzgerald) |
| Other recurring TV | Madison in Hulu's *The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox* (2025)[4](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/rebecca-wisocky-joe-lanza-crosby-231514234.html) |
| Film | Madeleine in *Crime 101* (2026, directed by Bart Layton); Annie in *Goodrich* (2024, directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer)[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald) |
| Training | Two-year conservatory at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, New York; Upright Citizens Brigade Advanced Placement[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald) |
| College | Tulane University in New Orleans, where she studied gender studies, not acting[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) |
| Career start | Short films from around 2012, television roles from 2017[6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/crosby-fitzgerald.html) |
## Early life and training
Fitzgerald grew up in Atlanta. In a 2026 interview on the official *Little House on the Prairie* site she described herself as the third of four children with two older brothers, spending summers at lakes in North Georgia and visiting relatives on a farm in Ireland, where her father had traced the family roots.[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) A celebrity-profile site describes a larger family of two brothers and three sisters.[6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/crosby-fitzgerald.html)
She wanted to act from about age five, but her parents required college first. At Tulane she studied gender studies; a classmate's plan to "be an actor" after graduation convinced her to choose the career herself. She then completed the two-year conservatory at the [Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/neighborhood-playhouse-school-of-the-theatre) in New York, worked as a live-in nanny, moved with that family to Los Angeles, and auditioned for roughly ten years before a role stuck.[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) Her résumé also lists advanced-placement training at the [Upright Citizens Brigade](https://www.edgepedia.org/upright-citizens-brigade) in New York and Los Angeles, plus a background heavy in comedy and improvisation.[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald)
## Television career
Fitzgerald began in short films around 2012 and moved into television by 2017.[6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/crosby-fitzgerald.html) Her early credits are largely comedy guest spots: as Bride in *Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens* (2020), Miss Kerman in *Abbott Elementary* (2021), and Carol in *The First Lady* (2022), plus a co-star turn on Showtime's *First Ladies* and recurring and guest roles on Hulu's *Amanda: A Coming of Age Story*, Apple's *[Stick](https://www.edgepedia.org/stick-tv-series)*, and Netflix's *The Altruists*.[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/335404/crosby-fitzgerald)
**Palm Royale.** Her breakthrough came as Sylvia in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama *Palm Royale* (2024), appearing in five episodes.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/335404/crosby-fitzgerald) The role was not her first credited television role, as she had previously appeared in *Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens*, and it placed her opposite [Kristen Wiig](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristen-wiig), whom Fitzgerald calls her biggest hero in the industry; she delivered a line to Wiig.[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) • [13](https://www.filmgoss.com/reviews/2020/awkwafina-is-nora-from-queens)
**The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox.** In March 2025, while the Hulu limited series about [Amanda Knox](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-knox) was in development, Fitzgerald was announced in a key recurring role as Madison, Amanda's outspoken best friend, opposite [Grace Van Patten](https://www.edgepedia.org/grace-van-patten) and [Sharon Horgan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharon-horgan).[4](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/rebecca-wisocky-joe-lanza-crosby-231514234.html) The series premiered on Hulu on 20 August 2025, with Fitzgerald's Madison appearing in the first, seventh, and eighth episodes.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/335404/crosby-fitzgerald) • [7](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-twisted-tale-of-amanda-knox)
## Little House on the Prairie
By the time the audition arrived, Fitzgerald had set a deadline: one more year in Los Angeles, then back to Atlanta for nursing school. "I felt like I had nothing else to lose," she told *Numéro Netherlands*.[8](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-crosby-fitzgerald) When cast as Caroline Ingalls opposite Luke Bracey's Charles Ingalls, she says she "fell to my knees and started crying"; the role has "changed my life."[2](https://www.aol.ca/articles/little-house-star-crosby-fitzgerald-120000000.html) Netflix had announced her casting, with the rest of the Ingalls family, in May 2025.[9](https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/series-de-tv/la-casa-de-la-pradera-quien-es-quien-en-la-nueva-version-de-la-familia-ingalls-de-netflix-nid05072026/)
To prepare, she read Caroline Fraser's *Prairie Fires* and [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-ingalls-wilder)'s own writings about her mother, then set the research aside to focus on the scripts.[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/) She and Bracey built a shared playlist for Charles and Caroline before filming, and she describes the role as a departure from her comedic type: Caroline is "such a put-together person."[1](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/)
The eight-episode first season premiered on Netflix on 9 July 2026 and quickly became the platform's most-watched streaming show, holding the top weekly spot two weeks after release.[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5075588/news/) Netflix renewed the series for a second season before the debut.[8](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-crosby-fitzgerald) Season 2, adapting the next book in Wilder's series, *On the Banks of Plum Creek*, filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and wrapped in October 2026.[11](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/little-house-on-the-prairie-season-2-netflix/)
## Film work
Fitzgerald played Annie in Hallie Meyers-Shyer's *Goodrich* (2024) and Madeleine in Bart Layton's crime film *[Crime 101](https://www.edgepedia.org/crime-101-2026-film)* (2026), appearing alongside [Chris Hemsworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-hemsworth).[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald) • [6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/crosby-fitzgerald.html) Her independent-film credits also include *People People* and *The Wig*.[5](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald) She served on the episodic jury of the 2025 Bentonville Film Festival, where she was described as a rising actress with standout roles across network television and streaming productions.[12](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a849db1e9bfdf18acd2290b/t/68f01ca96869151f067ebb40/1760566450506/2025%2BJury)
## References
1. [Meet Crosby Fitzgerald, Netflix's New Caroline Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie (official site), August 8, 2026](https://littlehouseontheprairie.com/meet-crosby-fitzgerald-netflixs-new-caroline-ingalls/)
2. ["Little House" Star Crosby Fitzgerald Reveals Why She Didn't Initially Believe She Could Play Caroline Ingalls, PEOPLE via AOL, July 18, 2026](https://www.aol.ca/articles/little-house-star-crosby-fitzgerald-120000000.html)
3. [Crosby Fitzgerald credits, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/335404/crosby-fitzgerald)
4. [Rebecca Wisocky, Joe Lanza & Crosby Fitzgerald Join Hulu's Amanda Knox Limited Series, Deadline via Yahoo News, March 4, 2025](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/rebecca-wisocky-joe-lanza-crosby-231514234.html)
5. [Crosby Fitzgerald résumé, Actors Access](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/crosbyfitzgerald)
6. [Crosby Fitzgerald, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/crosby-fitzgerald.html)
7. [How to watch 'The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox' online, Tom's Guide, July 8, 2026](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-the-twisted-tale-of-amanda-knox)
8. [In Conversation with Crosby Fitzgerald, Numéro Netherlands, July 9, 2026](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-crosby-fitzgerald)
9. [La casa de la pradera: quién es quién en la nueva versión de La familia Ingalls de Netflix, La Nación, July 5, 2026](https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/series-de-tv/la-casa-de-la-pradera-quien-es-quien-en-la-nueva-version-de-la-familia-ingalls-de-netflix-nid05072026/)
10. [Crosby Fitzgerald news, IMDb (Deadline and ScreenRant items on Little House Season 2 and streaming rankings, 2026)](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5075588/news/)
11. ['Little House on the Prairie' Season 2 Has Wrapped Filming. Here's What We Know, Marie Claire, October 2026](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/little-house-on-the-prairie-season-2-netflix/)
12. [2025 Bentonville Film Festival jury listing including Crosby Fitzgerald](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a849db1e9bfdf18acd2290b/t/68f01ca96869151f067ebb40/1760566450506/2025%2BJury)
13. [Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, filmgoss.com](https://www.filmgoss.com/reviews/2020/awkwafina-is-nora-from-queens)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames F*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license