Olivia Walton (formerly Olivia Daly) is one of the main characters in The Waltons. She is portrayed by Patricia Neal in The Homecoming and Miss. Michael Learned in the regular series.
She is the wife of John, daughter-in-law of Esther & Zebulon and the mother of John-Boy, Jason, Mary-Ellen, Ben, Erin Walton, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth. She lost a total of three babies: daughter Anne, Jim-Bob's twin brother Joseph, and an unborn baby who was posthumously named Joy.
Personality[]
Olivia is a very motherly, sweet, compassionate, religious lady who would do anything for her family and home. Despite her sweetness, she believes in excellent posture and manners, and is not afraid to scold, or even punish her children for misbehaving. She is a very religious woman, who can quote directly from the Bible and never misses the local church's Sunday service. Olivia is very old-school and is not a big fan of change; however, that doesn't mean she won't try to experience new things.
For instance, in The Bicycle, she fawns over a bike at Ike's General Merchantile Store and he gives her permission to take it out for a joyride, much to her enjoyment, even sacrificing the workload at home to ride it. Likewise, in The Rebellion, Olivia becomes tired of doing the same thing every day, so she decides to get a perm, which results in her family laughing at her expense.
Olivia is very much against violence in general. She refuses to hear her boys talk about going to war. She also does not approve of Jason working at the Dew Drop Inn but tolerates it to an extent. She is extremely protective of all of her children and will defend them to the death if necessary.
FAQs
Her character's abrupt disappearance in Season 7 was explained by Olivia developing tuberculosis and entering a sanatorium in Arizona. She returned in Season 8 and later appeared in four of the six Waltons reunion movies made during the 1980s and 1990s.
Are Jon Walmsley and Lisa Harrison still married? ›
She is an actress and producer, known for Superman Returns (2006), Kidnapped and The Waltons (1972). She was previously married to Jon Walmsley.
Why was Olivia written out of The Waltons? ›
Michael Learned's exit from The Waltons was announced through tuberculosis of her character, Olivia Walton and her subsequent stay at the sanatorium. However, despite her exit from the television series, Learned continued to appear in the movies of The Waltons.
Did any of the actors on The Waltons date each other? ›
The love stories carried over behind the scenes. Ma and Pa Walton — Ralph Waite and Michael Learned — quietly fell on love on set. And remember Jason and Toni, who we just mentioned in the prior paragraph? Well, actors Jon Walmsley and Lisa Harrison tied the knot in real life in 1979!
Did Olivia and John Walton fall in love in real life? ›
It might have gotten messy, but our love was very deep and very true. 'Thankfully, we had the good sense to not take it the next step, because I think it would have gotten messy. It might have gotten messy, but our love was very deep and very true.
Did Ben Walton marry Cindy in real life? ›
The actors playing Ben and Cindy Walton both happily married but still became inseparable. One of the earliest appearances of Cindy Brunson Walton comes in one of the most emotional episodes of The Waltons, an episode called "Founders' Day."
Does Jason Walton get married? ›
While stationed as a drill instructor in the fictitious Camp Rockfish near Walton's Mountain, he meets a beautiful WAC sergeant, Antoinette “Toni” Hazelton, who is also musically talented. Though Jason initially gets on Toni's nerves, they eventually fall in love and marry.
Did Jason and Toni on The Waltons get married in real life? ›
In 1979 Jon married Lisa Harrison, who portrayed the role of Toni Hazleton Walton ( Jon´s wife in “The Waltons“ ). They have one daughter, Brighton. Today they are divorced.
What did Jon Walmsley do after The Waltons? ›
Along with his acting career, Jon continued to develop his musical skills, writing and performing many original songs for "The Waltons" in which he also played the second oldest son "Jason." At nineteen, he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry and has since appeared as a guitarist - vocalist on television, records, and ...
What did Ralph Waite pass away from? ›
Served in the United States Marine Corps. He was physically healthy and active until contracting pneumonia, which caused his death at age 85. His problems with alcohol began when his 9-year-old daughter, Sharon, passed away.
Olivia is leaving Walton's Mountain, hustled off with tuberculosis to an Arizona sanatorium while her family somehow forges a path between unbearable grief and unbearable stoicism.
Why did Patricia Neal leave The Waltons? ›
In a 1999 interview with the Archive of American Television, Waltons creator Earl Hamner said he and producers were unsure if Neal's health would allow her to commit to the schedule of a weekly television series; so, instead, they cast Michael Learned in the role of Olivia Walton.
Did Michael learn ever date Ralph Waite? ›
Learned told the Daily Mail they decided not to pursue the romance as it could ruin the hit series and “get messy.” Instead, Learned insisted they cherished a close friendship that lasted until Waite's death in 2014 at age 85.
Did everyone on The Waltons get along? ›
The cast has remained close over the years. Learned described them as "my second family." "We spent more time together shooting the show than we did with our own families," she said. "So of course, we became close.
Why did John-Boy quit The Waltons? ›
As the oldest son of Olivia and John Walton, John-Boy was an integral part of the Depression-era family drama. But after spending much of his early 20s portraying the bookish would-be writer, Thomas felt it was time to do something different. “In the infinite wisdom of a 26-year-old I decided it was time to move on,...
Did Olivia Walton recover from polio? ›
In the television show "The Waltons," the character of Olivia Walton had two different health issues: tuberculosis and polio. She contracted tuberculosis in season one and spent time in a sanatorium to recover. Later in the series, she contracted polio, which left her paralyzed for a time but eventually recovered.
Why couldn t Olivia walk in The Waltons? ›
Olivia begins to experience pain and fatigue, and eventually collapses after church. Numbness in her legs turns to paralysis, and she is diagnosed with polio. However, she refuses to believe that she will never walk again. Jason is inspired by Grandma as she does her housework.
Does Olivia have tuberculosis in Waltons? ›
Olivia is diagnosed with TB following tests she had. As TB is contagious there were no tests carried out on her husband John or her seven children, as TB infections usually spread between family members.
