Richard Thomas: What Happened To John Boy From 'The Waltons'? (2024)

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Richard Thomas: What Happened To John Boy From 'The Waltons'? ›

In March 1977, Thomas left the series and his role was taken over by Robert Wightman. However, Thomas returned to the role in three Waltons TV movies in the 1990s, including A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion in 1993.

What ever became of John Boy from the Waltons? As a character, John-Boy's life is chronicled after the series in the 6 TV movies released in the years since the end of the show. After the war, he moved back to New York, where he worked as an editor and TV anchor.

Many young actors would give anything to have a lead role on a hit TV show. But Richard Thomas, who spent five seasons playing John-Boy Walton on CBS's The Waltons, feared that sticking with the show would eventually do his career more harm than good.

He won an Emmy Award for the role in 1973 and has worked steadily since, including several “Waltons” TV movies. Most recently, he played supporting characters in the TV hits “The Americans” and “Ozark” and narrated “A Waltons Thanksgiving” in 2022.

At least, that's the story told by Richard Thomas, who played John-Boy for the majority of the series run. While Thomas was replaced by Robert Wightman in season eight until the series ended, many viewers felt that the series was never quite the same after Thomas' departure, and longed for him to return.

John-Boy then turned his attention to reporting news instead and gained a steady means of living once more, but would one day have to break the news of the John F. Kennedy assassination. It was in this profession that he finally found the love of his life in the form of Janet, and they eventually married.

Robert Wightman was born on 29 December 1952 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for American Gigolo (1980), Stepfather 3 (1992) and The Waltons (1972).

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."

She is an actress and producer, known for Superman Returns (2006), Kidnapped and The Waltons (1972). She was previously married to Jon Walmsley.

Death. On February 13, 2014, Waite died in Palm Desert, California, of natural causes at age 85. He is buried in White Plains Rural Cemetery in New York.

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!

The three most prominent living members (Jim, Rob, and Alice Walton) have consistently been in the top twenty of the Forbes 400 list since 2001, as were John ( d. 2005) and Helen (d. 2007) prior to their deaths. Christy Walton took her husband John's place in the ranking after his death.

John-Boy returns to Walton's Mountain to write about the failing economy and lack of jobs.

Richard Thomas is best known for playing John-Boy on the '70s drama series The Waltons. Now, the Emmy-winning actor is taking on literature's best known lawyer, Atticus Finch, in the touring production of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted for the stage by Aaron Sorkin.

The San Fernando Valley of Southern California served as the backdrop for The Waltons production, with filming taking place at the Warner Bros. Studios lot and the surrounding Hollywood Hills area. Mount Lee and the iconic Hollywood Sign sit atop this range, providing a stunning backdrop to many outdoor scenes.

However, that decision wasn't made out of a dislike for The Waltons itself. Learned left because of the grueling nature of the television shooting schedule. According to an Associated Press interview, she decided after she finished The Waltons that she was done with working in television.

In fact, even though he left after five seasons, he returned with a few guest appearances in Season 6 and in a slew of 1990s movies adapted from the show. At the end of Richard's storyline as John-Boy on The Waltons, after graduating college, he moves to NYC to become an author.

Richard Thomas(I)

He is best known for his leading role as budding author John-Boy Walton in the CBS drama series The Waltons for which he won an Emmy Award from two nominations and received two Golden Globe Award nominations.

The role of Olivia stopped having room for growth. "Eight years is a long time to be doing the same thing. If I didn't push myself to make a move to get out and try something else, I never would," she said. "All the exploration work on the character had been done.