The Only Major Actors Still Alive From The Waltons - SlashFilm (2024)

Television Drama Shows

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"Good night, John-Boy. Good night, Elizabeth. And good night, daddy. Good night, son. And good night, mama. Good night, Mary Ellen. Good night, Jim Bob." Even if you've never watched a single moment of the classic TV show "The Waltons," the impact the series has had on television continues on even to this day. With the series' roots stemming back all the way to one of the most hated episodes of "The Twilight Zone" in history, references to "The Waltons" have extended all the way to films like 2016's "The Nice Guys," where Matt Bomber's villainous Dr. Malek is given the code name "John Boy" as he shares a similar facial birthmark to John-Boy actor Richard Thomas.

Created by Earl Hamner Jr., "The Waltons" centered on the titular family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II, based on Hamner Jr.'s book "Spencer's Mountain." With a TV movie that doubled as a pilot, the eventual series aired for nine seasons and 221 episodes from 1972 to 1981. Unfortunately, this classic TV status means that some of the cast members are no longer with us, as Ralph Waite (John Walton Sr.), Will Geer (Zebulon "Grandpa" Walton), Ellen Corby (Esther "Grandma" Walton), Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), and Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Walton Godsey) have since passed away.

However, much of "The Waltons" core cast is still alive and continuing to perform in film, television, theater, and making music. Here's where you can find them.

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Richard Thomas is somewhat synonymous with his Emmy-winning performance as John-Boy Walton, but his continued career has proven that he is so much more than the character that made him a household name. In some of his most high-profile roles, he played adult Bill Denbrough in the television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "It," Special Agent Frank Gaad on "The Americans," and nabbed the prestigious role of Atticus Finch in the national touring production of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

While starring in "The Waltons," Thomas made multiple appearances in other projects like the thriller "You'll Like My Mother," the NBC TV movie adaptation of "The Red Badge of Courage," and the CBS TV movie version of "All Quiet on the Western Front." Thomas has been consistently acting on stage and screen for the last 50 years and has provided his voice as an audiobook narrator for over 340 titles. His most recent appearances include a guest run on the Netflix hit "Ozark" and starring as John-Boy hosting "A Waltons Thanksgiving" special.

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Olivia Walton may have been played by "The Day the Earth Stood Still" star Patricia Neal in the pilot, but it was Michael Learned who played the patient, soft-spoken matriarch of the Walton family, a welcome contrast to father John's rough demeanor. She remains tied with Tyne Daly for the most Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (with four wins), three of which were for "The Waltons," while the other was for "Nurse." Learned left "The Waltons" after season 7, but eventually returned in season 8 and appeared in four of the six "Waltons" reunion specials.

Learned has continued to enjoy a fruitful career on screens big and small, with her most recent appearance as Catherine Dahmer on the hit Netflix series, "Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." She's also appeared on soap operas like "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless," and had one of the most memorable guest runs in the history of "Scrubs" as Mrs. Wilk. At 84 years young, there doesn't seem to be any signs of stopping, as she was credited in the early seasons, "Miss Michael Learned."

CBS

Most people associate Jon Walmsley with his role as Jason Walton, but did you know he also provided the voice for Christopher Robin in Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" cartoons? Walmsley has made the occasional on-screen appearance over the years, but his main focus since his child star days has been making music. Walmsley was a part of Richard Marx's touring band in the late 1980s, appearing in some of Marx's music videos, including "Should've Known Better" and "Too Late to Say Goodbye." His child star status offered him frequent appearances on game shows, including "Family Feud" and "$weepstake$."

His voiceover career post-"Pooh" includes "The New Adventures of Scooby-Doo" and the animated holiday series, "Elf Sparkle." In a fun bit of trivia, Walmsley's skills as a musician have nabbed him multiple small appearances on popular sitcoms as musicians (most prominently in the "8 Simple Rules" episode "Daddy's Girl" and in the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episode "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad"). Otherwise, if he's not showing off his musical prowess, his acting these days tends to be of the "Waltons" variety.

CBS

Judy Norton may have gotten her start as Mary Ellen Walton, but she's become quite a prolific television actor over the last 50 years, as well as a fascinating figure. Understanding that the wholesome energy of "The Waltons" might trap her into typecasting, Norton posed for the August 1985 issue of "Playboy" in an attempt to show that she was not the child actor the world saw her as, a forerunner to similar behavior seen in Disney starlets as they transition into adulthood. She also became a minister in the church of Scientology and frequently participated in competitive horse jumping, skydiving, skiing, and tennis. In addition to acting, Norton has also become a writer, director, and singer, even directing a six-episode webseries called "The Quarantine Bunch" which centered on a Zoom support group made up of former child stars like Keith Coogan and Scott Schwartz. Like her co-stars, Norton consistently appears in "Waltons" related reunion specials, TV movies, and public appearances.

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Like many of the Walton kids, Mary Elizabeth McDonough got her start as a child actor on the show and played the character of Erin Walton for the entirety of the series. The year the show ended, she made her feature film debut in "Lovely But Deadly," followed by the television horror film "Midnight Offerings" with Melissa Sue Anderson. It seemed that McDonough had a career ahead of her as a scream queen, nabbing the lead role in the underrated slasher film "Mortuary" featuring Bill Paxton. She also snagged a leading role in the dark comedy "Funland" in 1987, which wasn't quite horror but was certainly a wild ride.

However, the horror career path didn't quite come to fruition, but she always had "The Waltons" to welcome her back. She would revisit her character for all of the television reunion films. McDonough never quit acting, but there were some years where she wasn't as active on screen. She returned to consistent guest-starring and television acting throughout the 2000s and wrote the book 'Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane," which was later adapted into a Hallmark Channel holiday film of the same name. McDonough is also an activist for lupus erythematosus awareness, a condition she developed following silicone leaking into her body after plastic surgery. She spoke quite candidly about the experience in her 2012 memoir, "Lessons from the Mountain."

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The fourth of the Walton children, Eric Scott played Ben Walton in the TV movie pilot and all six seasons of the show. The character was named after John's brother, who was killed during WWI, and was always caught up in some hare-brained scheme to make money. He was the troublemaker of the Walton kids, constantly needing John Boy to swoop in and save the day. Scott has made some sporadic appearances in independent films and guest spots on TV shows since the 1970s, including an appearance in the Larry Buchanan indie horror flick "The Loch Ness Horror," but returning to the role that made him a household name continues to dominate his filmography. Mostly retired save for the occasional "Waltons"-related appearance, Scott now owns a parcel delivery company called Chase Messengers in Los Angeles County.

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David W. Harper was only 10 years old when he landed the role of Jim-Bob Walton in "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story" and for the most part, has spent the majority of his acting career playing the character. He had a couple of one-off roles in projects like "Walking Tall," the miniseries "The Blue and the Gray," "Fletch," and "3:15," but other than that, it's been all Jim-Bob, all the time. Harper seems to be enjoying his time out of the public spotlight, but often makes appearances for "Waltons" reunions and specials, and makes the occasional convention appearance.

CBS

Kami Cotler made her on-screen debut in 1971 in "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story," the TV film that doubled as the pilot for "The Waltons," as Elizabeth Walton, the youngest of the Walton siblings. Cotler later appeared in the TV movie "The Heist" in 1972 and 13 episodes of "Me and the Chimp" as Kitty Reynolds, but after "The Waltons" was turned into a series proper, Cotler spent the rest of her on-screen career exclusively playing Elizabeth, or appearing as herself in "Waltons" related appearances like "Family Feud" or documentary specials. After leaving acting behind, Cotler became an educator. She previously served as the co-director of the Ocean Charter School, only leaving after she started her own educational consulting business.

Cotler later became the founding Principal of Environmental Charter Middle School in Los Angeles, California, and served as a board member of the American Montessori Society. In addition to her work as an educator, Colter opened a boutique travel company and managed a cafe in San Francisco. While acting may not be her focus anymore, she seems to always be down to return to the role of Elizabeth Walton when needed.