What do the waltons look like now

So, whatever happened to the Waltons? The role of Olivia Walton was played by the actress Michael Learned. Olivia was the demure wife of John Walton, with seven Walton children. The character was an opinionated Southern Baptist who disapproved of liquor and initially disapproved of war, though changed her opinion when her own children enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Michael Learned now lives in California with John Doherty, her fourth husband.

She has been sober since , after a sabbatical at a coastal cabin owned by former husband Peter Donat. Her last acting engagement was in , with the film After Life. She won an additional Emmy for her role in Nurse in Ralph Waite was an actor best known for playing John Walton, Sr.

John Walton, Sr. Daddy Walton was very committed to his children and worked hard to save enough money for them to attend college. Ralph Waite passed away in at the age of After spending most of his life not a member of any religious group, he joined the Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California in Waite was a political activist, and campaigned for California Congress three times, unsuccessfully, as a Democrat.

John-Boy was the oldest Walton child. John-Boy is a serious-minded young man with an appetite for reading and an aspiration to become an writer. He enlists in the military after Pearl Harbor. He was also nominated for two Golden Globes. He also published a book of poetry, Glass, in He is fifteen when the show begins. Much like the actor who played him, Jason Walton loves music. He plays harmonica, guitar and piano. John Walmsley is a real-life musician, in addition to his acting work.

He plays guitar for the band The Ravers. I will miss him very much. Norton-Taylor, now 61, famously played the eldest Walton daughter, Mary Ellen, before going on to launch a dinner theater chain in Canada. She has continued her acting career with her most recent roles in 's The Sparrows: Nesting and 's Finding Harmony. Jon Walmsley Jason Walton. Jon Walmsley as Jason Walton in , left, and pictured at home in Cornwall in , right. Jon Walmsley, who is widely loved for his portrayal of Jason in iconic show The Waltons has been living at the south west tip of Britain since October.

The year-old actor, who is also famed for providing the voice of Christopher Robin for Disney's Winnie the Pooh cartoons revealed that despite his association with the award winning show, he's barely recognised in north Cornwall where he lives with wife Marion. Walmsley was born in Blackburn and first moved to California when he was just two years old. In , he and three other Los Angeles musicians formed a band called The U. K Beat, which plays music that inspired Walmsley and his friends when they were children during the s British rock invasion.

The year-old actress starred in The Waltons for nearly a decade during the s, joining the show when she was just But Mary McDonough recently claimed that she was told that she was 'fat' while she appeared on the long-running television series. The star, who played Erin in the programme, said she began 'starving' herself after developing body image issues sparked by the cruel remarks. McDonough was sadly forced to put her acting career in hold after suffering from an immune disease.

David W. He was cast as a child actor but have up acting after his success in the Waltons, and subsequent jobs have included driving for co-star Eric Scott's transport company. Harper has since reflected on his surreal childhood years, saying: 'Looking back, I realise we grew up surrounded by adults.

But I'm pleased to have been on the show. Kami Cotler Elizabeth Walton. Kami Cotler as Elizabeth Walton in , left, and in Hollywood in , right. Still fresh-faced at 53, Cotler, who played Elizabeth Walton, quit acting to study for a degree in Social Sciences before a series of teaching roles led her to set up her own educational consulting business. Despite this, she has continued to star in countless Walton reunions, the most recent being in Aged just six when she landed her starring role, Cotler now lives in Virginia with her British-born husband and their two children.

Eric Scott Benjamin 'Ben' Walton. Scott, once best known for his character Ben Walton, is now a vice-president of a Chase Messengers a Los Angeles based parcel delivery service, having given up acting to become a courier and businessman. Tragedy struck when his first wife, Theresa, died of leukaemia just two days after giving birth to their daughter Ashley.

He also ran for Congress twice, but he lost both times. He died in at the age of John-Boy was played by Richard Thomas, who continued acting. Judy Norton was the oldest sister Mary-Ellen, and according to MeTV , she broke away from that sweet image in by posing for Playboy. She tried her hand at a number of projects over the years, including managing community theater, releasing an album, and even breaking skydiving records.

That must have been very confusing for viewers! The original John-Boy was supposed to play him for five seasons but he was replaced by a different actor, Robert Wightman. You would think that he wouldn't come back on the show but he did as a different character. That must have been weird for him changing roles on the same TV show. As we mentioned earlier, Kami Cotler decided she was done with acting altogether after her time on " The Waltons.

Instead, she chose a career in academics. Years after the show was off the air, Cotler founded a charter school in Gardena, California. She also acted as the principal, pursuing a passion that fulfilled her more than her job as an actress. Before he was an actor, Ralph Waite was an ordained minister.

Since the cast was so close, Walmsley invited everyone to the wedding. Not only that, but he also invited Waite to officiate the ceremony. In , the show's creator Earl Hammer passed away after his battle with cancer at the age of To commemorate his life and work, the show aired a reunion of the CBS drama from Some people may think the show was overly sentimental but this is exactly what made the show so groundbreaking, the fact that is was wholesome and honored family values.

Ellen Corby played Esther Walton in the show and took home three Emmy awards for her performance. She married her husband, Francis Corby, in and the two never had children, eventually divorcing in Well, turns out that Ellen had a female partner of 45 years who lived with her up until her death in It was known in Hollywood that the two ladies were more than just friends.

As was normal back in the 70s, the younger cast members feel that they were often underappreciated and taken advantage of during filming. He worked hard and climbed the ladder and eventually went on to run the company. David Harper also couldn't find work after "The Waltons" and worked as a crew member behind the scenes. The exterior of the family home was also located on the studio lot. The original Walton home was set aflame by a disgruntled crew worker, back in Warner Bros decided to rebuild the house to use in the Walton reunion special that aired in The Hamner home has been preserved for viewings and will remain open to the public.

For fans interested, there are guided tours, as well as new items on display that bridge the gap between the real home and how it was depicted on the TV show.

Rather than let his show carry on and suffer from the competition, Flip Wilson sadly announced that it would be their last season.

After a while, the moniker took a toll on Mary. Feeling outside pressure to remain thin, McDonough developed an eating disorder. Although she tried to hide it from the cast, John Ritter confronted her about the issue. Ritter insisted that she start a journal and McDonough later said his interference saved her life. When the show got its start on television, the country was in the middle of congressional hearings.

According to Kami Cotler, The Waltons was a direct reaction to that idea. Ella Julius November 10, Mark Villanueva November 10, Ofek Hagag November 10, In the s, the fictional Walton Family became an integral part of American television, the show that exuded family values and wholesomeness which centers around the life of the Waltons, particularly on John-Boy, a teenage boy living in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II.

The classic American period drama aired for nine seasons! Since the series came to an end nearly forty years ago, the cast members have all gone their separate ways and went on to do amazing things. Michael Learned - Now After playing Mrs. Richard Thomas - Then Before getting cast as the star of the show, John-Boy, year-old Richard Thomas already had an impressive resume, including both works on television and films. Jon Walmsley - Now After finishing his long run on the show, Walmsley has put his energy towards his music career.

Eric Scott - Now Like many of his colleagues on The Waltons, Eric Scott pretty much left the acting world after playing Ben and appeared in only a few small roles. David Harper - Then David W. David Harper - Now After sticking with the series for the duration of its nine-season run, Harper, like many of his on-screen family members, chose to lighten up on his acting load.

Kami Cotler - Then The baby of the Walton family, adorable Kami Cotler, was only six-years-old when the series started. Kami Cotler - Now Kami Cotler retired acting in pursuit of an academic path.

So, if you're wondering why Waite was missing… you can blame the network for being cheap! Ellen Corby Returned After a Stroke Some actors are so dedicated to their careers that something as serious as a stroke doesn't keep them out of the game for too long. A Case of Mistaken Identity In the time that " The Waltons aired," it was common for sitcoms to be called by the last name of the family.

Even so, the show was a big hit with millions of viewers around the country. Olivia Walton Loved the Bottle Despite that on the series, Learned bashed alcohol and labeled it as evil, in real life, she felt quite differently. The Studio Took Advantage of the Cast It was no lie that the studio was very cheap, especially with the cast members.

Michael and Ralph Attempted To Date