CBS’s hit series The Waltons told the story of a tight-knit family making do during the Great Depression. The show, which premiered in 1972 and ran until 1981, was based on creator Earl Hamner Jr.’s experiences growing up in rural Virginia in the 1930s. It made stars out of its cast, including Michael Learned, who played family matriarch Olivia Walton, and Richard Thomas, who portrayed the eldest Walton son, John-Boy. But what have Learned, Thomas, and the rest of cast been up to since the show ended? Keep reading for an update on the surviving Waltons cast members and what they doing now.
Michael Learned recently appeared in ‘Dahmer’ on Netflix Michael Learned | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images;Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Michael Learned was acting in a play in San Francisco when she landed the role of Olivia Walton in The Waltons. After leaving the show, she went on...
Michael Learned recently appeared in ‘Dahmer’ on Netflix Michael Learned | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images;Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Michael Learned was acting in a play in San Francisco when she landed the role of Olivia Walton in The Waltons. After leaving the show, she went on...
- 4/22/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
More than 50 years have passed since Black Panthers Party co-founder Huey Newton entered an Oakland courtroom facing a murder charge, but his trial continues to influence the American legal system.
The impact of the sensational case comes into focus in the short documentary American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton, directed by Andrew Abrahams and Herb Ferrette, and written by Lise Pearlman (based on her book The Sky’s the Limit). It was produced by Abrahams and Pearlman. The film has earned a spot on the coveted Oscar shortlist despite lacking distribution.
“When we think about great trials, we don’t think of this one,” Abrahams tells Deadline. “But when you start to look at it, it actually is.”
The film dials back to 1967 when police in Oakland pulled over a van in which Newton was riding. A dispute ensued and gunfire erupted, leaving officer John Frey dead, as well...
The impact of the sensational case comes into focus in the short documentary American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton, directed by Andrew Abrahams and Herb Ferrette, and written by Lise Pearlman (based on her book The Sky’s the Limit). It was produced by Abrahams and Pearlman. The film has earned a spot on the coveted Oscar shortlist despite lacking distribution.
“When we think about great trials, we don’t think of this one,” Abrahams tells Deadline. “But when you start to look at it, it actually is.”
The film dials back to 1967 when police in Oakland pulled over a van in which Newton was riding. A dispute ensued and gunfire erupted, leaving officer John Frey dead, as well...
- 1/16/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
A new challenger entered the 2023 Oscars race for Best Documentary Short with the start of it awards-qualifying run on Friday, September 2 in Los Angeles. Directed by Andrew Abrahams and Herb Ferrette, “American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton” tells the untold story behind the murder trial of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton, a landmark case that centered racial injustice within the American criminal legal system. The doc short had its world premiere at the San Francisco Film Festival in April 2022 and its LA debut ahead of official release at the 28th Annual African American Film Marketplace on August 20.
Newton, one of the main subjects of “American Justice on Trial,” was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party. He faced the death penalty in a 1968 murder trial after fatally shooting a white police officer and injuring another during a car stop early in the morning. Newton suffered a near-fatal gunshot...
Newton, one of the main subjects of “American Justice on Trial,” was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party. He faced the death penalty in a 1968 murder trial after fatally shooting a white police officer and injuring another during a car stop early in the morning. Newton suffered a near-fatal gunshot...
- 9/6/2022
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Don’t say “Good night, John-Boy” just yet. The cast of The Waltons will come together for the first Stars in the House reunion of 2021.
Nearly every one of the surviving original cast members will join Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley for the January 7 episode of the Actors Fund benefit series on YouTube. Set for the virtual get-together are Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton), Michael Learned (Olivia Walton), Mary Beth McDonough (Erin Walton), Eric Scott (Ben Walton), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth Walton) and Judy Norton (Mary Ellen Walton). That leaves just two absentee brothers: Jon Walmsley, who played Jason Walton, and David W. Harper, who played Jim-Bob Walton.
The cast is expected to reminisce about their time on the iconic 1970s family drama and answer fan questions.
The Waltons actors are the latest to appear on the YouTube series that raises money for the Covid-19 efforts of the Actors Fund. Previous reunions include Knots Landing,...
Nearly every one of the surviving original cast members will join Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley for the January 7 episode of the Actors Fund benefit series on YouTube. Set for the virtual get-together are Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton), Michael Learned (Olivia Walton), Mary Beth McDonough (Erin Walton), Eric Scott (Ben Walton), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth Walton) and Judy Norton (Mary Ellen Walton). That leaves just two absentee brothers: Jon Walmsley, who played Jason Walton, and David W. Harper, who played Jim-Bob Walton.
The cast is expected to reminisce about their time on the iconic 1970s family drama and answer fan questions.
The Waltons actors are the latest to appear on the YouTube series that raises money for the Covid-19 efforts of the Actors Fund. Previous reunions include Knots Landing,...
- 1/4/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
[caption id="attachment_46200" align="aligncenter" width="590"] via AllAboutTheWaltons.com. From Left: Cliff (Jason), Nancy (Elizabeth), Audrey (Erin) James (Jim Bob), Doris "Mother" Hamner (Olivia), Earl Hamner Jr. (John-Boy), Marian (Mary Ellen), Paul (Ben). Missing: Bill./caption]
Goodnight, John-Boy. Earl Hamner Jr. creator of The Waltons TV series and real-life counterpart to the John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) character has died at the age of 92. Premiering September 14, 1972, the series ran nine seasons before being cancelled by CBS. The TV series finale episode, "The Revel" aired June 1, 1991. It was followed up by several Waltons TV movies.
The Waltons was based on the Hamners' life in Schuyler, Virginia, and the main characters were inspired by the creator's family members. The cast of The Waltons includes: Thomas, Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Ellen Corby, Will Geer, Judy Norton, Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, David W. Harper, Kami Cotler, Joe...
Goodnight, John-Boy. Earl Hamner Jr. creator of The Waltons TV series and real-life counterpart to the John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) character has died at the age of 92. Premiering September 14, 1972, the series ran nine seasons before being cancelled by CBS. The TV series finale episode, "The Revel" aired June 1, 1991. It was followed up by several Waltons TV movies.
The Waltons was based on the Hamners' life in Schuyler, Virginia, and the main characters were inspired by the creator's family members. The cast of The Waltons includes: Thomas, Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Ellen Corby, Will Geer, Judy Norton, Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, David W. Harper, Kami Cotler, Joe...
- 3/25/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Fans of the 1970s television drama The Waltons were saddened to learn of the passing of Ralph Waite on Thursday at age 85. For nine seasons the actor played John Walton, Sr., a father of seven struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression and World War II.
"[Fans] tell me that I was their surrogate father, the one who brought them up," Waite told Entertainment Weekly last year.
Indeed, Waite's honest portrayal struck a chord with audiences around the world, and left a big impression on actor Richard Thomas, who played eldest son John-Boy on the series.
"I loved Ralph very much.
"[Fans] tell me that I was their surrogate father, the one who brought them up," Waite told Entertainment Weekly last year.
Indeed, Waite's honest portrayal struck a chord with audiences around the world, and left a big impression on actor Richard Thomas, who played eldest son John-Boy on the series.
"I loved Ralph very much.
- 2/14/2014
- by Monica Rizzo
- People.com - TV Watch
Ralph Waite, who played John Walton Sr. on The Waltons for nine seasons, died Thursday at age 85. While he’s best known for his Emmy-nominated role as the patriarch on the long-running 1970s CBS drama, Waite has had recent recurring roles on NCIS, Bones, and Days of Our Lives.
EW spoke with Waite last year for our annual Reunions Issue, bringing the Walton family back together more than three decades after their show went off the air. “What has moved me the most is the mail I’m still getting,” Waite told EW at the time. “They tell me that I was their surrogate father,...
EW spoke with Waite last year for our annual Reunions Issue, bringing the Walton family back together more than three decades after their show went off the air. “What has moved me the most is the mail I’m still getting,” Waite told EW at the time. “They tell me that I was their surrogate father,...
- 2/14/2014
- by Sean Smith
- EW - Inside TV
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More than 30 years after their show ended, the cast of "The Waltons" reunited on "Good Morning America," as part of the ongoing Entertainment Weekly reunion series that has already seen the casts of "Mystic Pizza" and "Hart to Hart" get back together to share some memories.
Al of the surviving members of the Walton family participated in the reunion, with Michael Learned (Olivia), Ralph Waite (John Sr.), Richard Thomas (John-Boy), Judy Norton Taylor (Mary Ellen), Jon Walmsley (Jason), Eric Scott (Ben), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin), David W. Harper (Jim-Bob), and Kami Cotler (Elizabeth) appearing.
When asked about which current TV show is most like "The Waltons," the cast shows their sense of humor, likening their show to "Dexter" or "True Blood." Learned spoke highly of Thomas, as the show's lead at only 21 years old. "Somehow you carried the show at a very young age with...
More than 30 years after their show ended, the cast of "The Waltons" reunited on "Good Morning America," as part of the ongoing Entertainment Weekly reunion series that has already seen the casts of "Mystic Pizza" and "Hart to Hart" get back together to share some memories.
Al of the surviving members of the Walton family participated in the reunion, with Michael Learned (Olivia), Ralph Waite (John Sr.), Richard Thomas (John-Boy), Judy Norton Taylor (Mary Ellen), Jon Walmsley (Jason), Eric Scott (Ben), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin), David W. Harper (Jim-Bob), and Kami Cotler (Elizabeth) appearing.
When asked about which current TV show is most like "The Waltons," the cast shows their sense of humor, likening their show to "Dexter" or "True Blood." Learned spoke highly of Thomas, as the show's lead at only 21 years old. "Somehow you carried the show at a very young age with...
- 10/18/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Over three decades after the Walton family — Olivia, John, John-Boy, Mary Ellen, Jason, Ben, Erin, Jim-Bob, and Elizabeth — said their last “goodnights,” the whole gang (that’s Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Richard Thomas, Judy Norton Taylor, Jon Walmsley, Eric Scott, Mary Elizabeth McDonough, David W. Harper, and Kami Cotler) joined forces once more for EW’s latest Reunions issue.
The world has clearly changed a lot since this rural Virginia clan left the airwaves in 1981. Can any current TV show compare to The Waltons’ enormous heart? Well, maybe one. When Good Morning America’s Cam Mathison posed that same question to the reunited cast,...
The world has clearly changed a lot since this rural Virginia clan left the airwaves in 1981. Can any current TV show compare to The Waltons’ enormous heart? Well, maybe one. When Good Morning America’s Cam Mathison posed that same question to the reunited cast,...
- 10/18/2013
- by Hillary Busis
- EW - Inside TV
What's the holiday season without warm family reunions?
One of TV's most famous families, the Waltons, got together on "The Today Show" on Friday, three decades after their show went off the air. As a poor family in Virginia struggling during the Great Depression, the cast warmed hearts and touched on historial issues, winning 12 Emmys and leaving a legacy of period drama that can be plainly seen on TV today.
Just as they were one big, happy family on the show, they were the same way during the reunion. Michael Learned, who played Ma, told Matt Lauer that, "We get giddy, we love each other" when asked about their reunion. The remaining cast -- David Harper (Jim Bob), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Jon Walmsley (Jason), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin), Eric Scott (Ben), and Richard Thomas (John-Boy) all agreed.
They noted that, perhaps unlike today, there were no...
One of TV's most famous families, the Waltons, got together on "The Today Show" on Friday, three decades after their show went off the air. As a poor family in Virginia struggling during the Great Depression, the cast warmed hearts and touched on historial issues, winning 12 Emmys and leaving a legacy of period drama that can be plainly seen on TV today.
Just as they were one big, happy family on the show, they were the same way during the reunion. Michael Learned, who played Ma, told Matt Lauer that, "We get giddy, we love each other" when asked about their reunion. The remaining cast -- David Harper (Jim Bob), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Jon Walmsley (Jason), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin), Eric Scott (Ben), and Richard Thomas (John-Boy) all agreed.
They noted that, perhaps unlike today, there were no...
- 12/3/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
If you're a child of the '70s, you'll remember "The Waltons" as the sometimes corny TV series that coined the phrase "Good night, John Boy." It was, of course, a reference to the show's folksy ending each week -- the camera would pan away from a farm house as lights went out and the titular Waltons would all say good night to each other in turn.
On Friday (Dec. 2), several "Waltons" cast members -- including Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Jon Walmsley (Jason), David Harper (Jim Bob), Eric Scott (Ben), Michael Learned (Olivia, aka "Ma"), Richard Thomas (John Boy), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) and Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin) -- reunited on "Today" to talk to Matt Lauer about the show's 40th anniversary.
The actors talked about their lifelong friendships and why no one from the show never wrote a tell-all book,...
If you're a child of the '70s, you'll remember "The Waltons" as the sometimes corny TV series that coined the phrase "Good night, John Boy." It was, of course, a reference to the show's folksy ending each week -- the camera would pan away from a farm house as lights went out and the titular Waltons would all say good night to each other in turn.
On Friday (Dec. 2), several "Waltons" cast members -- including Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Jon Walmsley (Jason), David Harper (Jim Bob), Eric Scott (Ben), Michael Learned (Olivia, aka "Ma"), Richard Thomas (John Boy), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) and Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin) -- reunited on "Today" to talk to Matt Lauer about the show's 40th anniversary.
The actors talked about their lifelong friendships and why no one from the show never wrote a tell-all book,...
- 12/2/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Our national obsession with oversized TV families isn’t a recent reality-show phenomenon. Forty years ago, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, and The Waltons were each prime-time hits, and eight members of the cast from the latter visited with Matt Lauer this morning on Today. For youngins who scrunched their nose when Today ran video clips of the show, which ran for nine seasons beginning in 1971, The Waltons was an extremely earnest drama about a western Virginian family struggling through the Great Depression and World War II. Is it dated? “It was dated when we did it!” interjected one of the cast,...
- 12/2/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
A big TV reunion in New Jersey, The Munsters reboot gets a director, some strange reports regarding the new Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol movie, and a new Star Trek documentary. All this, Pan Am, and some TV history...
The Waltons
Our friend Marc Berman notes that there will be a special 40th anniversary screening of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story on Friday night in New Jersey. The movie that spawned The Waltons will be shown and will be followed by a special Q&A panel discussion with Richard Thomas, Mary McDonough, Judy Norton, Kami Cotler, Jon Walmsley, Eric Scott, David Harper, and David Huddleston. Some of those who didn't appear in the movie but were in the series will also take part, including Michael Learned, Lynn Hamilton, Leslie Winston, Hal Williams, Ellen Geer, and Radames Pera. Tickets are $20 each. Hopefully, someone will film the event for...
The Waltons
Our friend Marc Berman notes that there will be a special 40th anniversary screening of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story on Friday night in New Jersey. The movie that spawned The Waltons will be shown and will be followed by a special Q&A panel discussion with Richard Thomas, Mary McDonough, Judy Norton, Kami Cotler, Jon Walmsley, Eric Scott, David Harper, and David Huddleston. Some of those who didn't appear in the movie but were in the series will also take part, including Michael Learned, Lynn Hamilton, Leslie Winston, Hal Williams, Ellen Geer, and Radames Pera. Tickets are $20 each. Hopefully, someone will film the event for...
- 11/30/2011
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
If you’re like I was a week ago, you’re not at all familiar with the television show The Waltons. To give you some perspective on the show, George H.W. Bush once famously said, "we are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons," which should give you a pretty good idea of the show’s target audience. In the 1970s and early 1980s it ran for nine seasons, of which this is the last.
The show follows the trials and tribulations of a rural family living outside Charlottesville, Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. They are led by patriarch John Walton, Sr, (Ralph Waite), who raises the children with a sage and steady hand (there was a mother, Olivia Walton, played by Michael Learned, but she...
The show follows the trials and tribulations of a rural family living outside Charlottesville, Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. They are led by patriarch John Walton, Sr, (Ralph Waite), who raises the children with a sage and steady hand (there was a mother, Olivia Walton, played by Michael Learned, but she...
- 5/1/2009
- by Anders Nelson
- JustPressPlay.net
For nine seasons on CBS, The Waltons was a part of a weekly tradition for television viewers. It was a staple of Thursday nights for so long that many were a little lost when it finally went off the air in 1981.
Based on Spencer's Mountain by Earl Hamner Jr. and a 1963 Henry Fonda movie of the same name, The Waltons revolves around a large family living in rural Virginia. The family, living on Walton's Mountain, is played by Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Will Geer, Ellen Corby, Richard Thomas, Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Judy Norton-Taylor, David W. Harper, and Kami Cotler.
The mountain setting is also home to several other townspeople played by Mary Jackson, Helen Kleeb, Joe Conley, Ronnie Claire Edwards, Lynn Hamilton, and Robert Donner.
As the series wore on, the family grew through weddings and births. There were also a few notable cast changes. Thomas...
Based on Spencer's Mountain by Earl Hamner Jr. and a 1963 Henry Fonda movie of the same name, The Waltons revolves around a large family living in rural Virginia. The family, living on Walton's Mountain, is played by Ralph Waite, Michael Learned, Will Geer, Ellen Corby, Richard Thomas, Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Judy Norton-Taylor, David W. Harper, and Kami Cotler.
The mountain setting is also home to several other townspeople played by Mary Jackson, Helen Kleeb, Joe Conley, Ronnie Claire Edwards, Lynn Hamilton, and Robert Donner.
As the series wore on, the family grew through weddings and births. There were also a few notable cast changes. Thomas...
- 4/28/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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