The Waltons was a favorite thanks to its family values and engaging episodes. Although the series ended in 1981, the decades-worth of episodes remain a nostalgic favorite amongst many viewers. Join us as we take a look at some of the most interesting behind-the-scenes facts about The Waltons, including where the cast is today!
Michael Learned – Then
Olivia was played by actress Michael Learned. Born in Washington D.C., Learned made her acting debut in two episodes of Wojeck in 1968. Four years later she would land her role on The Waltons, which solidified her space in Hollywood. She appeared in the dramatic show for a whopping 168 episodes.
The patient and loving wife, Olivia, complemented John Walton’s tough-guy persona. The soft-spoken wife had seven children: John Walton Jr., Jason Walton, Mary Ellen Walton, Erin Esther Walton, Benjamin Walton II, James Robert Walton, and Elizabeth Tyler Walton.
Michael Learned – Now
These days, the Emmy winner has tons to keep her busy. Between her three kids, a husband, five grandchildren and sporadic appearances on TV shows, Learned is an active woman. She has often been seen on the popular and beloved soap opera The Young and the Restless.
In 2002, Learned penned a moving publication about her struggle with alcoholism when she was 32 and in the middle of filming The Waltons. She decided to get sober and spent time on the California coast to go on what she calls a spiritual journey.
Ralph Waite – Then
John Walton Sr. had many opinions and was your regular ol’ tough guy. He cared for his children very much and worked diligently to ensure that all of his kids would one day go off to college and make a life for themselves. He ran a saw mill on Walton’s Mountain to support his family.
The patriarch of the Walton family was played by actor Ralph Waite. Waite was born in White Plains, New York and 1928 and made his acting debut in the ’50s, eventually scoring roles in the likes of Cool Hand Luke and Five Easy Pieces.
Ralph Waite – Now
Sadly, Ralph Waite passed away in February 2014 of natural causes. He had a steady career up until his death. He was a recurring character on NCIS as Jackson Gibbs and snagged a role for 98 episodes of Days of our Lives. A fun fact: he ran for Congress back in the ’90s but did not get elected.
Waite was married three times throughout his life and had three daughters from his first marriage. His daughter Sharon died from leukemia in 1964.
Richard Thomas – Then
He was known as John-Boy in the series but his real name was John Walton Jr. John-Boy was the oldest of the children and he also narrated the show.
John-Boy was played by actor Richard Thomas. Thomas was born in Manhattan and made his Broadway debut in Sunrise at Campobello when he was just eight years old. His TV debut was in A Doll’s House, and he scored his role in The Waltons a decade later.
Richard Thomas – Now
Richard Thomas is talented not only in front of the camera but behind it as well. He directed five episodes of The Waltons as well produced four TV movies. Since his time on the series, he has been in more than a dozen TV shows and movies.
His most recent starring role was in The Americans in which he played the Frank Gaad. On top on acting and directing, Thomas is heavily involved in theater and in 2017 appeared in the Broadway revival of The Little Foxes. He won a Tony for his performance. Thomas married in 1975 and he and his wife welcomed triplet daughters in 1981.
Eric Scott – Then
Ben Walton had one of the more wild storylines to follow on The Waltons. He would often fall for get rich quick schemes, forcing his dad and brother to come to his rescue. The character appeared throughout the entire series and all six movies.
Before working on The Waltons Scott was a struggling actor. The television pilot movie for the show was actually his first gig. He is one of the only original actors to transition from the first movie to the television show.
Eric Scott – Now
With the show in his rearview mirror, Eric Scott quit acting as a full-time job and got into business for himself. He started Chase Messengers, a parcel delivery service in Encino California that’s still serving customers today.
Scott has been married three times, first to actress Karey Louis. His second marriage ended in tragedy when his wife, Theresa Fargo, lost her battle with myelomonocytic leukemia. He married his current wife, Cynthia Ullman Wolfen, in 2000.
Mary Beth McDonough – Then
Erin Walton was the second daughter of the Walton family and was played by Mary Beth McDonough. The character looked up to her bigger sister Mary even though they would constantly get into fights.
By the end of the series, Erin worked her way up from part-time employee to executive manager. And when the final credits rolled, she happily employed as a school principal, working to shape the future. McDonough was cast on The Waltons in 1972 and stayed with the show until it was canceled in 1981.
Mary Beth McDonough – Now
Mary Beth McDonough continued to act with great success after The Waltons ended. She appeared on a variety of series including ER, Will and Grace, and Boston Legal. She also worked as a consultant and correspondent for Entertainment Tonight.
Most recently McDonough had her book Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie starring Colin Ferguson. She made a supporting appearance in the made for television movie about siblings coming together for Christmas after their parents died.
David Harper – Then
The second-youngest child of the family, James Robert “Jim-Bob” Walton was born a twin. Unfortunately, his brother Joseph Zebulon died at birth although the two were the only children in the family to be delivered at a hospital.
Actor David Harper initially played the role of Jim-Bob in the 1971 television movie The Homecoming: A Christmas Story. The following year, the film became the basis for The Waltons TV series. Harper signed on for the job and continued acting as Jim-Bob for the entire nine-season run.
David Harper – Now
Following his time on The Waltons, David Harper briefly pursued an acting career. He appeared in several Waltons reunion specials, a miniseries called The Blue and The Gray, and the film Fletch. He then went to business school and hasn’t been active in the film industry since.
In a 2011 interview, Harper said that his hobbies include music, history (especially the Civil War and ancient Sumer), reading and writing. He also enjoys jigsaw puzzles and watching films.
Kami Cotler – Then
Being cast in the role of Elizabeth Walton when she was six-years-old was a huge break in Kami Cotler’s career. Originally cast in the role for the movie, she was carried over onto the show as a cast regular and was featured in 212 episodes.
Her character, Elizabeth, was the youngest of the Walton children and was notable for being very loud and very rambunctious. When she grew up, Elizabeth began traveling, and in the series finale, she became engaged to her boyfriend.
Jon Walmsley – Then
Jason Walton was close with his family but had a special bond with John-Boy. That is strange because they had two completely personalities and interests. He was first written as introverted but slowly blossomed into a social person once he started playing instruments. By season 7 he had settled down with a woman and had a few children with her.
Jason was played by actor Jon Walmsley. Walmsley was born in Lancashire, England and made his acting debut in Combat! in 1966. He would star in a handful of other series prior to joining the cast of The Waltons, including Daniel Boone, My Three Sons, and The Bill Cosby Show.
Jon Walmsley – Now
He did love music in the show so it makes sense that he loves it in real life. Walmsley is a guitarist for the band The Ravers who play vintage British rock music. He has worked with high profile names like David Koz and Brian Setzer. When he made a return for The Waltons specials, he concentrated more on his music than acting.
Walmsley also lent his voice to the Winnie the Pooh cartoons, voicing the character of Christopher Robin.
Kami Cotler – She’s A Teacher Now…And An Environmentalist!
With the conclusion of The Waltons, Kami Cotler took her talents away from Hollywood. She quit acting, only returning to reprise the role of Elizabeth Walton in television movies. With the world in front of her, Cotler decided she wanted to save it.
Cotler got her degree in social sciences and began a teaching career. She focused mostly on environmentalism and even helped found the Environment Charter Middle School in California. Today she still lives in California and continues to spread her earth-friendly message.
Mary Ellen’s Playboy Spread Ended up Ruining Her Career
Judy Norton Taylor made one of the worst career decisions possible in 1985 when she decided to do a spread for Playboy. The actress was looking to shed her image, and to do it she decided she needed to shed her clothes.
Years later the actress admitted the see-all interview was a bad idea. After the magazine came out, most interviews she got were filled with questions about the spread and not her acting career.
The Youngest Walton Quit Acting and Found a New Career
Referenced earlier, Kami Cotler did not continue acting after the show’s end. She was featured in the reunion movies but chose to keep teaching and become the founding principal of a charter school in Gardena, California.
She also established an educational consulting busines and ran her own boutique travel company. She is married and has two children. It was impressive of her to follow her heart and do what she loved.
Judy Norton Taylor – Then
The oldest daughter of the family is Mary Ellen. She was a tomboy that loved playing baseball. She also started off as a whiny teenager. As the series came along, Mary Ellen became a wise woman who worked toward obtaining her nursing degree and eventually became a doctor. From tomboy to doctor, Mary Ellen’s character was an inspiration.
Mary Ellen was played by actress Judy Norton Taylor. Born in Santa Monica, California she made her acting debut in Hole in 1967 and then starred in Felony Squad and The Homecoming: A Christmas Story before joining The Waltons.
Judy Norton Taylor – Now
After The Waltons ended, Judy Norton Taylor turned to the stage. She went north of the border and directed more than 40 different shows for two theater companies in Canada. Like another of her siblings on the show, she had a love for music so she rekindled it and made a demo at one point.
In 1985, she posed for Playboy, in an attempt to shed her wholesome “family” image. Today, she is married to her husband Robert Graves and has one son, Devin.
Ralph Waite Was Fired Because the Network Was Cheap
At the end of the eighth season of The Waltons, there wasn’t supposed to be a ninth. It was at the last minute that CBS decided to bring the show back, which put producers in a pickle. Not only was the show coming back, but the budget per episode was getting slashed!
To solve their problem, Ralph Waite’s contract was not renewed. He was the highest-earning cast member, making him the most expendable. It might not have been a fun move to make, but it proved to be the right one at the time.
Ellen Corby Returned After a Stroke
After suffering from a stroke, actress Ellen Corby was forced to leave The Waltons. Doctors told her she needed to take care of her health, and she was scared that her condition would decrease her acting skills.
As it turned out, her acting abilities were better than ever, and Corby was able to return to the cast. Fans voiced their concerns for her health, but her co-stars stuck by her side, saying that returning to acting was the healthiest decision she could make.
Ellen Corby Smoked… A Lot
Having a stroke wasn’t the only controversial thing that ever happened to Ellen Corby. While filming The Waltons, Corby married director Francis Corby, but she wasn’t actually in love with him. Behind the scenes of their marriage, she was actually in love with actress Stella Luchetta.
Not only that, but Corby had a nasty chain-smoking habit that was impossible to quit. Corby was married in 1934 and fell in love with Luchetta in 1953. When she passed away in 1999 the boundary-breaking couple was still together.
Patricia Neal Was in the Original Cast
In the pilot for The Waltons, actress Patricia Neal was cast as Olivia Walton. Unfortunately, Neal had a history of health problems that got in the way of her being able to reliably show up on set. Neal’s loss, however, turned out to be Michael Learned’s reward.
Learned, who wound up being perfect for the role of Olivia was cast after Neal was forced to leave. The sad situation worked out in the best interest of the show, which wouldn’t have felt the same without Learned in the role of the family matriarch.
Henry Fonda Talked Himself Out Of A Role
Legendary actor Henry Fonda almost found himself in The Waltons. He was just about to be cast as the father of the family when he made a mistake with his mouth. CBS loved Fonda and eagerly showed him the pilot to convince him to sign on.
It was the pilot, though, that made Fonda back out. After watching it he said, “What do you want me for? The whole family is the star! You don’t need me.” With that, Fonda walked away, leaving the door open for another actor to take the role.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
When The Waltons came out in 1971, it faced quite an interesting problem. At the time, most shows that were named after families were half-hour comedies. Viewers who tuned in to the first season were left confused about why an hour-long drama wasn’t named like an hour-long drama.
It didn’t take long for audiences to understand what was happening though, and they loved the show. The Waltons was an instant hit and was very quickly one of the highest rated shows on television.
The Father And Son Connection
Before uniting as father and son on The Waltons, actors Richard Thomas and Ralph Waite and played father and son before. Three years before the show premiered they in Last Summer together.
There’s an old saying that goes, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” They may have been playing different characters on The Waltons, but the father and so “bond” was so strong, there was no point to tear them apart. As it turns out, their relationship went far beyond the television set.
Olivia Walton Drank… A Lot
As you already know, Michael Learned decided at 32-years-old she needed to get sober. Before making that life-changing decision she was a massive alcoholic. When she auditioned for the role, he alcoholism was so bad that she hid a bottle of bourbon in her pocket.
Whatever courage it gave her at the time worked and she convinced casting producers that she was perfect for the role. Still, her dangerous addiction ultimately nearly ended her career. Luckily she dealt with it.
Jon Walmsley Was Born in England
Jon Walmsley may have played a true-blooded American on television, but in the real world, the actor’s blood ran British. He was born in Lancashire, England, although you would never know it from listening to him speak.
Before Walmsley could develop an accent, his family moved back to the United States. Still, even if he did have an accent, he would have probably been able to hide his true voice for American Audiences. That’s what most actors do who come from across the pond.
The Studio Took Advantage of the Cast
While in production on the show, CBS wanted to spend as little money as possible. We guess that’s just what happens when you create a show about a Depression-era family; you want to keep them as depressed as possible for authenticity purposes.
One joke that made it off the set of the show is that the idea of a crew party was to have a single beer and 13 straws. Michael Learned did admit to being gifted flowers as a gift once, but none of the kids on the cast ever got anything so nice.
Ralph Waite Fell in Love with the Cast
Thanks to the cast of The Waltons, Ralph Waite was able to turn his life around. It goes to show that love can be a strong force in one’s life. At the beginning of the show, Waite was struggling with addiction.
But the love he had for his TV family helped him turn over a new leaf. The story goes taht one time at the dinner table with the children around he chose to sign up for AA and become sober.
