show name	The Waltons
genre	Family Drama
creator	Earl Hamner, Jr.
starring	Richard ThomasRalph WaiteMichael LearnedEllen CorbyWill GeerJudy NortonJon WalmsleyMary Elizabeth McDonoughEric ScottDavid W. HarperKami CotlerPeggy Rea
narrated	Earl Hamner, Jr.
country	United States
language	English
num seasons	9
num episodes	221 + 7 TV movies
list episodes	List of The Waltons episodes
producer	Robert L. JacksAndy WhiteRod PetersonClaylene Jones
exec producer	Lee RichEarl Hamner Jr.Rod Peterson
camera	Single-camera
runtime	45–48 minutes
company	Lorimar ProductionsAmandas Productions
distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
network	CBS
first aired
last aired
status	Ended
website	}}

''The Waltons'' is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book ''Spencer's Mountain'', and a 1963 film of the same name. The show is centered on a family in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot aired as a television movie entitled ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' and was broadcast on December 19, 1971. Beginning fall 1972, the series originally aired on CBS for a total of nine seasons. After the series was cancelled in 1981, three television movie sequels followed in 1982, with three more in the 1990s. ''The Waltons'' was produced by Lorimar Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution in syndication.

Plot[link]

Setting[link]

The main story takes place in Walton's Mountain, a fictional town at the foot of a mountain in fictitious Jefferson County, Virginia. The time is during the Great Depression and World War II, during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. John Walton Jr. — known to nearly everyone as John-Boy — is seventeen years old, and his parents have been married for eighteen years.

The series' timeframe takes the viewer from 1933 to 1946. The year 1933 is suggested by a brief shot of an automobile registration, and it is divulged in episode 18 that the date is in the spring of 1933. The series finale, "The Revel", evolves around a party and the invitation date is given as June 4, 1946. A span of 13 years is therefore covered in nine seasons. There are some chronological errors, which ostensibly do not hinder the storyline.

The last episode of season one, ''An Easter Story'', is set in February through April, 1934. The year 1934 takes two seasons to cover, while some successive years are covered in months.

After the series run, six feature-length sequels were made, set from 1947 through 1969, airing between 1982 and 1997.

"A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion" takes place in 1963, 30 years after "The Homecoming", even though the actors are only 22 years older. The Walton family characters would have been in their 30s–40s by then, as well as John and Olivia being in their 60s. John Walton makes a reference to Grandpa having been dead "15 years," although by the original series timeline it would have been closer to 25 years. Esther Walton and the Baldwin sisters would have been in their late 90s–100 by the last three reunion movies.

The last sequel, 1997's ''A Walton Easter'' was set in 1969, and contains a serious anachronism that contradicts the setting of the series. John and Olivia celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, which would have advanced their marriage to 1929, and John-Boy's birth to 1930. Yet in the series, younger Erin graduated high school in 1937 and was born in 1919 ("The Career Girl", 1977). This would make Erin eleven years older than John Boy. Earl Hamner Sr., the basis for the John Walton character, died in 1969, the year "A Walton's Easter" takes place. Since they celebrated their 20th anniversary in 1935, this would have made them married 54 years by 1969.

Story[link]

John and Olivia Walton, along with John's parents Zebulon "Zeb" and Esther Walton, raise their seven children during the Great Depression and World War II. The family's story is narrated at the opening and closing of each episode by the middle-aged John-Boy (Richard Thomas), the oldest son who becomes a journalist and novelist. John manages to eke out a living by operating a lumber mill with the help of his father, and his sons as they grow older. The family income is augmented by some small-scale farming, and John occasionally hunts to put meat on the table. Relatives and strangers occasionally pass by, to whom the family shares its hospitality as they are able. The small community named after their property is also home to folk of various income levels, ranging from the well-to-do Baldwin sisters, two elderly spinsters who distill moonshine that they call "Papa's recipe"; Ike Godsey, postmaster and owner of the general store with his somewhat snobbish wife Corabeth (a Walton cousin); a black couple, Verdie and Harley Foster; Maude, a sassy octogenarian artist who paints on wood; Flossie Brimmer, a friendly though somewhat gossipy widow who runs a nearby boarding house; and Yancy Tucker, a good-hearted handyman with big plans but little motivation. Jefferson County sheriff Ep Bridges keeps law and order in Walton's Mountain. The entire family (except for John) attend a Baptist church, of which Olivia and Grandma Esther are the most regular attenders.

In the signature scene that closes almost every episode, the family house is enveloped in darkness, save for one, two or three lights in the upstairs bedroom windows. Through voice-overs, two or more characters make some brief comments related to that episode's events, and then bid each other goodnight.

After completing high school, John-Boy attends fictional Boatwright University in the fictional nearby town of Westham. He later goes to New York City to work as a journalist.

During the latter half of the 1976–77 season, Grandma Esther Walton suffers a stroke and returns home shortly before the death of her husband, Grandpa Zeb Walton.

During the last five years of the series, Mary Ellen and Ben marry and begin having families of their own. Erin, Jason and John Boy are married in later television movie sequels.

World War II deeply affects the family. All four of the Walton boys enlist in the military. Mary Ellen's physician husband, Curtis "Curt" Willard, is sent to Pearl Harbor and is reported to have perished in the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Years later, Mary Ellen hears of sightings of her "late" husband, investigates and finds him alive (played by another actor), but brooding over his war wounds and living under an assumed name. She later remarries.

John-Boy's military plane is shot down, while Olivia becomes a volunteer at the VA hospital and is seen less and less and eventually develops tuberculosis and enters an Arizona sanitarium. Olivia's cousin, Rose Burton, moves into the Walton house to watch over the brood. Two years later, John, Sr., moves to Arizona to be near Olivia. Grandma appears in only a handful of episodes during the final season (she was usually said to be visiting relatives in nearby Buckingham County).

Characters[link]

The following is a brief summary of the central recurring characters. See the main article for a more complete list.

John "John-Boy" Walton, Jr. (Richard Thomas, pilot, series seasons 1–5, guest season 6, three movie sequels; Robert Wightman, seasons 8-9 and one movie sequel), the oldest of seven children, aged 17 in season one.

John Walton, Sr. (pilot, Andrew Duggan; Ralph Waite series and movie sequels), the family patriarch

Olivia Walton (pilot, Patricia Neal; Michael Learned series seasons 1-7, guest season 8, and movie sequels), John's wife.

Zebulon Tyler "Zeb/Grandpa" Walton, (pilot, Edgar Bergen; Will Geer seasons 1-6, not replaced after Geer's death), John's father

Esther "Grandma" Walton (Ellen Corby, appears regularly season 1 until Corby's stroke midway through season 5; returns last episode of season 6 and remains through the end of season 7; then appears only occasionally in seasons 8 and 9 (and subsequently five of the six sequels), John's mother

Jason Walton (Jon Walmsley), John-Boy's younger brother, aged 15 in season 1; musically talented

Mary Ellen Walton (Judy Norton Taylor), the oldest Walton daughter, about two years younger than Jason. She becomes a nurse, and is the first Walton child to marry and have children.

Erin Esther Walton (Mary Elizabeth McDonough), second Walton daughter. In the first few seasons it is unclear whether she or Ben is older, but she is established as the fourth to graduate from high school in season 5. Works as a telephone operator, and attends business (secretarial) school.

Benjamin "Ben" Walton (Eric Scott), third Walton son; has an entrepreneurial spirit.

James Robert "Jim-Bob" Walton (David W. Harper), youngest Walton son; mechanically inclined, his ambition is to become a pilot.

Elizabeth Walton (Kami Cotler), youngest of the seven children

Rose Burton (Peggy Rea), seasons 8-9; Olivia's matronly cousin who fills in as matriarch during Olivia's absence.

Production[link]

Inspiration[link]

Earl Hamner's rural childhood growing up in the unincorporated community of Schuyler, Virginia, provided the basis for the setting and many of the storylines of ''The Waltons''. His family and the community provided many life experiences which aided in the characters, values, area, and human-interest stories of his books, movies, and television series. Hamner provided the voice-over of the older John-Boy, usually heard at the end of each episode.

John-Boy Walton's fictional alma mater, Boatwright University, is patterned after Richmond College, which became part of the University of Richmond on Boatwright Drive, near Westham Station in The West End of Richmond, Virginia, about 70 miles east of Schuyler. (As late as the 1990s, it was still possible to see signs with then name Boatwright on the University of Richmond campus and Boatwright Library still exists there.)

Filming[link]

The town of Walton's Mountain was built in the rear area of the Warner Bros. Studios, but the mountain itself was part of the range opposite Warner studios in Burbank, California. The Walton's house facade was built on the ''Here Come the Brides'' set on the Columbia Ranch studio, now one of the Warner Brothers studios. The Waltons' house is still used as scenery at Warner Brothers. For example, it served as the Dragonfly Inn on ''Gilmore Girls''.

Broadcast and release[link]

Ratings[link]

1972–73: #20 1973–74: #2 1974–75: #8 1975–76: #14 1976–77: #15 1977–78: #21 1978–79: Not in the Top 30 1979–80: Not in the Top 30 1980–81: #30

DVD releases [link]

Warner Home Video has released all nine seasons and six TV movies of ''The Waltons'' on DVD in Region 1. Seasons 1-4 have been released in Region 2. The pilot movie, ''The Homecoming - A Christmas Story'', was released by Paramount Home Entertainment. Lorimar produced the series, CBS produced the pilot film, which is why Paramount, under CBS Home Entertainment, handles home video rights for ''The Homecoming''.

DVD Name	Ep #
		! Region 1	! Region 2 (UK)
''The Homecoming - A Christmas Story''		September 23, 2003	N/A
The Complete 1st Season		May 11, 2004	November 1, 2004
The Complete 2nd Season		April 26, 2005	July 3, 2006
The Complete 3rd Season		April 25, 2006	September 11, 2006
The Complete 4th Season		January 23, 2007	March 5, 2007
The Complete 5th Season		May 8, 2007	September 12, 2007
The Complete 6th Season		January 8, 2008	March 20, 2008
The Complete 7th Season		April 29, 2008	N/A
The Complete 8th Season		January 6, 2009	N/A
The Complete 9th Season		April 28, 2009	N/A
TV Movie Collection (not including the original movie)		January 26, 2010	N/A

Current status[link]

''The Waltons'' airs in the U.S. on INSP - Inspiration each weekday at 1pm and 8pm Eastern time. The show can also be seen on the Hallmark Channel weekdays at 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm Eastern time. Gospel Music Channel (gmc) runs two episodes of ''The Waltons'' weekdays at 12 noon and 1pm Eastern and three episodes weeknights at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm Eastern. INSP also frequently on holiday weekends will air Waltons marathons or specials including cast reunions. In Canada, ''The Waltons'' airs on Crossroads Television System (CTS) weekdays at 4:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM ET. The show is on the True Entertainment Channel in the UK, Sky Digital channel 188 and Freesat channel 142, Monday to Friday at 12:00 pm and 5.00pm.

Reception and impact[link]

Emmy Awards[link]

''The Waltons'' won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1973. Also in 1973 Richard Thomas won the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Michael Learned won the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series three times (1973, 1974, and 1976). Ellen Corby was also a three-time winner in the Supporting Actress category, winning in 1973, 1975, and 1976. Will Geer was awarded the Supporting Actor Emmy in 1975. Veteran actress Beulah Bondi won an Emmy in 1977 for Lead Actress in a Single Performance for her guest appearance as Martha Corrine Walton in the episode ''The Pony Cart'' (Episode #111). She first appeared in The Waltons episode ''The Conflict'' (Episode #51) as the widow of Zeb Walton's brother.

The series also earned a Peabody Award for its first season.

Cultural references[link]

During a speech in January 1992, then-president George H. W. Bush mentioned that he wanted to "make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like ''The Simpsons''". Later, in the cold opening to an episode, Bart Simpson responded to the comment, quipping, "We're just like The Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too".

A country store in Nelson County, VA, is called the ''Walton's Mountain Country Store''.

In Gilmore Girls, season 1 episode 6, Lorelai tells Rory about her birth in detail and Rory says, "I wonder if the Waltons ever did this".

In Dawson's Creek, season 3, episode 8, Dawson's parents make life seem exactly like the past, leading to Dawson saying, "Why do I suddenly feel like I'm stuck in an episode of The Waltons?".

References[link]

Further reading[link]

''Ike Godsey of Walton's Mountain,'' by Joe Conley. Albany, BearManor Media 2010. ISBN 978-1-59393-508-5.

External links[link]

Encyclopedia of Television

Walton's Mountain Museum official website

The Waltons website

A Walk with Grandpa Walton and the Walton family

The Walton's Mountain Community Center

Rockfish-river.com - German /english Waltons-fanpage with travel reports, reports about Walton reunions and many photos and videos

Waltons Mountain

The Waltons Unofficial Home Page

"A Tribute To The Waltons" - Cast Interviews

The Waltons on Hallmark Channel

Category:1972 television series debuts Category:1981 American television series endings Category:1970s American television series Category:1980s American television series Category:American drama television series Category:Best Drama Series Golden Globe winners Category:CBS network shows Category:English-language television series Category:Fictional families Category:Fictional characters from Virginia Category:Peabody Award winning television programs Category:Television programs based on novels Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Category:Television shows set in Virginia Category:Television series set in the 1930s Category:Television series set in the 1940s Category:Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners

de:Die Waltons es:The Waltons fr:La Famille des collines it:Una famiglia americana nl:The Waltons pl:The Waltons pt:The Waltons sh:The Waltons fi:Waltonin perhe sv:Familjen Walton tr:The Waltons

name	Todd Bridges
birth name	Todd Anthony Bridges
birth date	May 27, 1965
birth place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian
years active	1975–present
spouse
children	1 son }}

Todd Anthony Bridges (born May 27, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his childhood role as Willis Jackson on the NBC/ABC sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'', and for his recurring role as Monk on the UPN/CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris''. He is currently a comedic commentator on the television series ''TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest...'', which airs on truTV.

Personal life[link]

Bridges was born May 27, 1965, in San Francisco, California. Bridges has a brother and sister who are both actors, Jimmy Bridges and Verda Bridges. His mother, Betty A. Bridges, was also an actress. Todd is married to Dori Bridges and has one son, Spencir Bridges (born July 16, 1998) who is also a child actor and appeared in the film ''Daddy Day Camp'' and one episode on ''iCarly''.

Career[link]

Bridges became the first African-American child actor to have a recurring role on a successful TV series, ''The Waltons''. He also appeared on ''Little House on the Prairie'', and in the landmark miniseries ''Roots''. He was a regular on the ''Barney Miller'' spinoff ''Fish''. But it was as young Willis Jackson on the long-running sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'' that he made his name, along with fellow child co-stars Dana Plato and Gary Coleman. Bridges survives both Plato and Coleman, who died in May 1999 and May 2010, respectively.

Bridges appeared as a contestant on a 2006 celebrity episode of ''Fear Factor'', but was eliminated after the first stunt. In January 2007, he appeared as a member of the "mob" on the US version of the game show ''1 vs. 100''. He appeared on MyNetworkTV's new show, ''Decision House'' with his wife, Dori Bridges on the episode titled, "Burned Bridges" aired on November 14, 2007. He also had a recurring role on the sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris''.

In March 2008, Bridges appeared on truTV's ''Tru tv Presents: World's Dumbest...''; he continues to appear as a frequent commentator. That same year in October, he debuted as one of the contestants on Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling on the CMT Network. He was a member of Team Beefcake (coached by former wrestler Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake). On the show, Bridges' wrestling persona was the character "Mr. Not So Perfect." The judges praised him for his athleticism. After reaching the finals along with Butterbean and Dustin Diamond, Bridges was defeated by Dennis Rodman.

Other work[link]

Bridges wrote a book, "Killing Willis", discussing his drug addiction, criminal charges, and efforts to establish a public identity independent of the character, "Willis", he portrayed. He appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' on April 28, 2010 to discuss his life as a child star and legal troubles that followed.

He appeared as a contestant on the Fox reality show ''Skating with Celebrities'', but was eliminated on the second episode of the show. Todd Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice on a 2002 episode of ''Celebrity Boxing''.

In 2011, Bridges appeared in the video for The Black Keys song "Howlin' for You."

In 1998, Todd Bridges and his brother James Bridges were credited with saving the life of a 51 year old paraplegic woman, Stella Kline. The woman nearly drowned when her wheelchair rolled into a lake while she was fishing. Quoting Kline, "I was thanking God that he was there, and you know, everybody's been saying nothing but bad stuff about Todd Bridges on the news and in the papers . . . He has a heart of gold." Todd Bridges remarked on the rescue, "We felt God put us there at the right time to save this lady's life, because there was no one else around."

Legal problems[link]

In his 20s, Bridges battled a crack cocaine addiction for several years. In 1988, he was arrested and tried for the attempted murder of Kenneth "Tex" Clay, a Los Angeles area drug dealer who, prosecutors argued, had been shot by Bridges while on a binge. Bridges pleaded not guilty to the charges and was represented by the high-profile defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. Cochran successfully portrayed Bridges as an abused minor who had been driven to drugs by an exploitative entertainment industry, and was now being unfairly framed. A witness finally testified that Bridges was not present at the time of the shooting. Bridges was acquitted of all charges by a jury.

In 1993, Bridges was involved in an altercation with a tenant, David Joseph Kitchen, in his house after Bridges found Kitchen in his room with a fifteen year old girl. Kitchen attacked Bridges with a sword, then Bridges retaliated by stabbing him in the chest with a kitchen knife. The prosecutors dropped the charges, concluding Bridges had acted in self-defense.

Filmography[link]

Books[link]

Todd Bridges with Sarah Tomlinson, ''Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted'', Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, December 2008 (ISBN 9781439148983)

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from California Category:African-American actors Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:People from San Francisco, California

de:Todd Bridges es:Todd Bridges fr:Todd Bridges it:Todd Bridges ja:トッド・ブリッジス pt:Todd Bridges sv:Todd Bridges

name	Judy Norton-Taylor
birth name	Judy Norton
birth date	January 29, 1958
occupation	Actress
spouse	}}

Judy Norton-Taylor is an American actress and theater director who is best known for her role on ''The Waltons'' television series and subsequent Waltons TV movies.

Personal life[link]

She was born January 29, 1958, in Santa Monica, California, to parents Harry and Constance (née Glazebrook) Norton. Taylor married Randy Apostle in 1991 and they had one child, son Devin, before divorcing.

In an effort to shake her "family" image Norton Taylor posed nude for Playboy in 1985.Today she is married to Robert Graves, and commutes between the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., she does stage and TV. While in Canada she and her husband run a chain of dinner theaters.

Filmography[link]

''Hotel'' (1967)

''Felony Squad'' (1968)

''Valentine'' (1979)

''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (1971)

''The Waltons'' (1972–1981)

''Family Feud'' (1979)

''Battle of the Network Stars'' (1979)

''Battle of the Network Stars'' (1980)

''Kraft Salutes Disneyland's 25th Anniversary'' (1980)

''Password Plus'' (1980)

''Battle of the Network Stars'' (1981)

''A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain'' (1982)

''Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain'' (1982)

''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'' (1982)

''The Love Boat'' (1982)

''Circus of the Stars'' (1983)

''Circus of the Stars'' (1984)

''Super Password'' (1984)

''Crosswits'' (1987)

''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (1993)

''A Walton Wedding'' (1995)

''A Walton Easter'' (1997)

Television[link]

''Millennium'' (1997)

''The Lost Daughter'' (1997)

''The Inspectors'' (1998)

''Stargate SG-1'' (1998)

''A Twist of Faith'' (1999)

''Beggars and Choosers'' (1999–2000)

''Ed'' (2000)

''Hollywood Off Ramp'' (2000)

References[link]

External links [link]

Official Site for Judy Norton, actress, singer, director, writer

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:American television actors

de:Judy Norton-Taylor fr:Judy Norton-Taylor no:Judy Norton Taylor

name	Ralph Waite
birth date	June 22, 1928
birth place	White Plains, New York,
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1965–present
spouse/s	Linda East (1982-present)Kerry Shear Waite (1977-1981) (divorced)Beverly Waite (1951-1966) (divorced) 3 children }}

Ralph Waite (born June 22, 1928) is an American actor, whose most notable role was playing John Walton Sr. on the 1970s CBS TV series ''The Waltons'', which he also occasionally directed. He is also known for his portrayal of the slave ship third mate Slater, in the mini-series ''Roots''. In addition, he has appeared in many guest roles on numerous television series portraying a large variety of roles.

Waite currently has a recurring role in the TV shows, NCIS where he plays Jackson Gibbs, father to Leroy Jethro Gibbs played by Mark Harmon and also Bones where he plays Hank Booth, Seeley Booth's grandfather.

Personal life[link]

Waite, the oldest of five children, was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Esther (née Mitchell) and Ralph H. Waite, a construction engineer. Before becoming an actor, Waite, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948, graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and briefly was a social worker. He earned a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School and was a Presbyterian minister and religious editor at Harper & Row in New York City before deciding on a career in acting.

He is a former member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1963 season.

Ralph Waite has married three times; two of his marriages ended in divorce. He had three daughters from his first marriage. One of his daughters died when she was nine years old. His stepson, Liam Waite, is also an actor.

After fifty years being away from organized religion, Waite returned in 2010 and became an active member of Spirit of the Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in Palm Desert, California.

Political involvement[link]

Waite ran unsuccessfully for Congress in California as a Democrat three times: in 1990 he challenged veteran GOP incumbent Al McCandless in the Riverside County-based 37th district, losing by five percentage points. In 1998 he ran in the special election for the then-Palm Springs-based 44th district left vacant by the death of incumbent Sonny Bono. He was defeated in that election by Mary Bono, Sonny's widow, and lost to her again that November.

On October 21, 1991, Waite introduced former California Governor Jerry Brown prior to the latter's speech announcing his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.

Electoral history[link]

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |- !|Year !|Office ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct ! |- |1990 |U.S House of Representatives District 37 | | |Jeffrey Jacobs 29% Ralph Waite 71% | align="right" |103,961 | |44.8% | | |Bud Mathewson 27% Al McCandless 73% | align="right" |115,469 | |49.8% | |- |1998 |U.S House of Representatives District 44 (special election) | | |Ralph Waite | align="right" |24,228 | |28.8% | | |Mary Bono | align="right" |53,755 | |64% | |- |1998 |U.S House of Representatives District 39 (general election) | | |Ralph Waite | align="right" |57,697 | |35.7% | | |Mary Bono | align="right" |97,013 | |60.1% |

Filmography[link]

''Hogan's Goat'' (play) (1965)

''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967) Alibi

''The Borgia Stick'' (TV) (1967)

''A Lovely Way to Die'' (1968)

''Five Easy Pieces'' (1970) Carl Fidelio Dupea

''Lawman'' (1971)

''The Grissom Gang'' (1971)

The Pursuit of Happiness (1971)

''The Sporting Club'' (1971)

''Chato's Land'' (1972)

''Girls on the Road'' (1972)

''The Magnificent Seven Ride'' (1972)

''Trouble Man'' (1972)

''Hot Summer Week'' (1973)

''Kid Blue'' (1973)

''The Stone Killer'' (1973)

''The Thanksgiving Story'' (TV) (1973)

''The Secret Life of John Chapman'' (TV) (1976)

''Red Alert,''(1977)

''Roots'' (TV) (1977), Third Mate, Slater

''Waiting for Godot'' (TV) (1977)

''Angel City'' (1980)

''OHMS (the movie)'' (1980)

''On the Nickel'' (1980)

''The Gentleman Bandit'' (TV) (1981)

''A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain'' (TV) (1982)

''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'' (TV) (1982)

''Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain'' (TV) (1982)

''A Good Sport'' (TV) (1984)

''Growing Pains'' (TV) (1984) Rob

''Crime of Innocence'' (TV) (1985) Frank Hayward

''Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood'' (1988) Narrator

''Red Earth, White Earth'' (1989) Martin

''Crash and Burn'' (1990)

''Desperate Hours'' (1990)

''Sparks: The Price of Passion'' (TV) (1990)

''The Bodyguard'' (1992) Herb Farmer

''Cliffhanger'' (1993)

''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (TV) (1993)

''Keys'' (TV) (1994)

''Sin & Redemption'' (TV) (1994)

''Sioux City'' (1994)

''A Season of Hope'' (TV) (1995)

''A Walton Wedding'' (TV) (1995)

''Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco'' (1996)

''The West'' (1996)

''A Walton Easter'' (1997)

''The Third Twin'' (TV) (1997) Senator Proust

''The President's Man'' (TV) (2000)

''Spirit'' (TV) (2001)

''Sunshine State'' (2002)

''Timequest'' (2002)

''Blessings'' (TV) (2003)

''Silver City'' (2004)

''Ace Ventura Jr: Pet Detective'' (TV) (2009)

''Letters to God'' (2010)

''25 Hill'' (2011)

Television[link]

''Look Up and Live'' (1966)

''N.Y.P.D.'' 2 episodes —

''Bonanza'' (1970) "The Lady and the Mark" — Hoby

''Nichols'' (1971)

''The Waltons'' (1972–81) John Walton, Sr.

''CBS: On the Air'' (1978)

''The Mississippi'' (1983) Ben Walker

''Reading Rainbow'' (1987)

''Murder, She Wrote'' (1989) DA Paul Robbins

''Time Trax'' (1994)

''Murder One'' (1996) Malcolm Dietrich

''Orleans'' (1997)

''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' (1999)

''The Outer Limits'' (1999)

''All My Children'' (2001) Bart

''Carnivàle'' (2003–2005)

''The Practice'' (2004)

''Cold Case'' (2007) Felton Metz

''CSI'' (2008) "Young Man with a Horn" as Sheriff Montgomery

''NCIS'' (2008–2012) "Heartland(6-4)", "Faith(7-10)", "Rule Fifty-One(7-24)", "Spider and the Fly(8-1)", "Life before his eyes(9-14)" as Jackson Gibbs.

''The Cleaner'' (2008)

''Days of our Lives'' (2009) Father Matt

''Grey's Anatomy'' (2009) "Tainted Obligation" as Irving Waller

''Bones'' (2009-2011) "The Foot in the Foreclosure", "The Male in the Mail", as Hank Booth

''Off the Map'' (2011) "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" as Abuelito

As director[link]

''The Waltons (TV series)'' (1973–80)

''On the Nickel'' (1980)

''The Mississippi (TV series)'' (1983)

As producer[link]

''A Good Sport'' (1984) (executive producer)

As writer[link]

''On the Nickel'' (1980)

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1928 births Category:Living people Category:People from White Plains, New York Category:Actors from New York Category:American actor–politicians Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Bucknell University alumni Category:California Democrats

de:Ralph Waite fr:Ralph Waite is:Ralph Waite fi:Ralph Waite

name	Michael Learned
birth date	April 09, 1939
birth place	Washington, D.C., United States
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1961—present
spouse	John Doherty (1988-present)William Parker, IV (1979-?)Glenn Chadwick (1974-1977)Peter Donat (1956-1972) 3 sons }}

Michael Learned (born April 9, 1939) is an American actress known for her role as Olivia Walton on ''The Waltons'' and Bruce Lee's racist mother-in-law in ''Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''.

Personal life[link]

Learned was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elizabeth Duane "Betti" (née Hooper) and Bruce Learned, a diplomat. Her maternal grandfather was an attaché for the United States Embassy in Rome. She lived on a Connecticut farm with her five sisters for the first ten years of her life. She was named Michael because her father, a diplomat, had wanted and expected to have a boy and had selected the name Michael in advance. When it was clear he had a daughter rather than a son, he decided to keep the name he had chosen. When she was 11, Learned moved to Austria, where her father worked for the U.S. State Department. At this time, she attended Arts Educational School, Tring now Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Tring, Hertfordshire, England. During this time, she discovered the theatre and decided to make acting her life's work. In a 2002 article she wrote for ''Daily Word'', a publication of the Unity Church, Learned states that at the time she was cast in ''The Waltons'', she had "hit rock bottom". It was then, at age 32, that Learned realized she was an alcoholic. Taking herself to ex-husband Peter Donat's cabin on the California coast, Learned states she decided to "get sober" and that her time there was the beginning of a spiritual journey. Learned further stated in the article that she has been sober since 1977.

Learned has been married four times. Her first husband was Canadian-American actor Peter Donat, whom she married in 1956, when she was 17 years old. The marriage was dissolved in 1972. She had three children by this marriage: Caleb, Christopher and Lucas. Her second marriage, to Glenn Chadwick, lasted from 1975–1977, and ended in divorce. In 1979, she married actor/screenwriter William Parker. That marriage ended before her 1988 marriage to lawyer John Doherty; they reside in California.

Career[link]

Television[link]

She was billed as "Miss Michael Learned" on ''The Waltons'' because she was relatively unknown at the time, and producers did not want confusion among viewers about her gender. She was nominated for six Emmy Awards and won three for her role of Olivia Walton. In 1979, her contract was not renewed; some sources indicate that she opted not to re-sign with the show. Her character's abrupt disappearance was explained by Olivia developing tuberculosis and entering a sanatorium in Arizona. She made occasional guest appearances until the show's cancellation and later appeared in the three ''Waltons'' reunion movies during the 1990s. For her portrayal of Olivia Walton, Learned was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards.

During her run as Olivia Walton, Learned and Waltons co-star, Will Geer, appeared together in the 1974 made-for-TV movie, ''Hurricane''.

Learned later starred as Nurse Mary Benjamin in the hospital drama ''Nurse'', which ran on CBS during the 1981-82 season. Though the series was well received critically, it was not a ratings success and lasted only two seasons. Learned was nominated for two Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Lead Actress" and won yet another Emmy for this role in 1982.

She later had a starring role in the unsuccessful 1989 sitcom ''Living Dolls'' and reprised her ''Waltons'' role for a number of TV movies and reunions in the 1990s.

Learned played "Judge Helen Turner" on the ABC soap operas ''All My Children'' and ''One Life to Live'' as part of the "baby switch" storyline on both shows. In ''The Secret World of Alex Mack'''s second season, she guest starred as a ghost who regretted the decisions of her long-estranged granddaughter, revealed at the end to be the show's main villain, Danielle Atron. She also guest-starred in ''Scrubs'' as Mrs. Wilk in five episodes from the show's fifth season. She also played Shirley Smith on ABC's ''General Hospital''.

In October 2011, it was announced Learned had been hired as a temporary recast in the character of Katherine Chancellor on the CBS daytime drama, ''The Young and the Restless''. Learned was hired to replace Jeanne Cooper, who is on medical leave from the series.

Theater[link]

In the late 1960s, Learned and her husband (Peter Donat) appeared in various roles with the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco.

She has appeared in many stage productions on Broadway, Off Broadway, and elsewhere, including in the 2006-2007 national touring production of ''On Golden Pond''. In the fall of 2008 she starred in Innovation Theatre Works' production of ''Driving Miss Daisy'', playing the title role of Daisy Werthen opposite Willis Burks II as Hoke and Dirk Blocker as Daisy's son Boolie.

Filmography[link]

; 1960s

''The Other Man (mini-series)'' (1963)

''Wojeck'' (1968)

; 1970s

''The Waltons'' (1972–1979) (as "Olivia Walton")

''Gunsmoke'' (1973)

''Match Game 73'' (1973)

''Hurricane'' (1974)

''It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy'' (1974)

''Police Story'' (1974)

''Little Mo'' (1978)

''The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards'' (1978)

; 1980s

''Nurse'' (1980)

''Touched by Love'' (1980)

''A Christmas Without Snow (1980)

''Politics of Poison'' (1982)

''Night of 100 Stars'' (1982)

''Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain'' (1982)

''The Parade'' (1984)

''St. Elsewhere'' (1984)

''Power'' (1986)

''A Deadly Business'' (1986)

''Picnic'' (1986)

''All My Sons'' (1987)

''Mercy or Murder?'' (1987)

''Hothouse'' (1988)

''Roots: The Gift'' (1988)

''Living Dolls'' (1989)

''Murder, She Wrote'' (1989)

''Who's the Boss?'' (1989)

; 1990s

''Gunsmoke: The Last Apache'' (1990)

''Wiseguy'' (1990)

''Aftermath: A Test of Love'' (1991)

''Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story'' (1991)

''Keeping Secrets'' (1991)

''Mattie's Waltz'' (1992)

''Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story'' (1993)

''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (1993)

''The American Revolution'' (1994)

''Reading Rainbow'' (1994)

''The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1995)

''A Walton Wedding'' (1995)

''A Walton Easter'' (1997)

''Life During Wartime'' (1997)

''A Father for Brittany'' (1998)

''Profiler'' (1998)

''Promised Land'' (1998)

; 2000s

''For the Love of May'' (2000)

''Pensacola: Wings of Gold'' (2000)

''So Graham Norton'' (2000)

''The Best of So Graham Norton'' (2000)

''CBS at 75'' (2003)

''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2003)

''TV Total'' (2004)

''All My Children'' (2005)

''Lethal Eviction'' (2005)

''Loggerheads'' (2005)

''One Life to Live'' (2005)

''Scrubs'' (2006)

''The Killer'' (2007)

''Cold Case'' (2009)

''An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong'' (2009)

;2010s

''General Hospital'' (2010)

''The Young and the Restless (2011)

References [link]

External links[link]

Category:1939 births Category:Actors from Washington, D.C. Category:American film actors Category:American soap opera actors Category:American television actors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People educated at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts Category:People from Connecticut Category:People from Washington, D.C.

de:Michael Learned fr:Michael Learned nl:Michael Learned ru:Лернд, Майкл sh:Michael Learned sv:Michael Learned