Here's What The Cast Of The Waltons Looks Like Now

If you know the line "Good night, John-Boy," then odds are you were one of the millions who tuned in to CBS to watch "The Waltons" every week. The multi-award-winning drama chronicled the life of a large family in a rural Appalachian town from the Depression through World War II. It was based on the real life of the show's creator, Earl Hamner Jr., who also narrated the series as the adult John-Boy Walton. Similar to "Happy Days" and other '70s classics, "The Waltons" appealed to audiences who yearned for a return to simpler times (even though those times were actually far from simple). 

The show ended in 1981, but it spawned a number of TV movies, including "The Waltons: Homecoming" in 2021, and 2022's "A Waltons Thanksgiving." Certain senior members of the cast have passed away since the series began, including Ralph Waite, who played patriarch John Walton; Ellen Corby, who portrayed Grandma Esther Walton; and Joe Conley, the town storekeeper Ike Godsey. Will Geer, the beloved Grandpa Zebulon Walton, died in 1978, and a Season 7 episode was devoted to mourning him. But many other actors are still active in the business, and often get together for "Waltons" reunions. 

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Just like a real family, the surviving members have all gone on to pursue their separate lives. Some still enjoy active acting careers, while others have moved on to other forms of entertainment, or even found fulfillment in totally new lines of work. Despite their physical separation, this TV clan will always be connected by their shared experience.

Michael Learned was never one of the "It Girls" of the 1970s, but her portrayal of devoted mom Olivia Walton earned the beloved actor three of her four Emmys. Learned considers the "Waltons" cast "a second family," as she enthused during a 2025 episode of the "Still Here Hollywood Podcast With Steve Kmetko." However, after eight seasons, she left the show because Learned felt her character was being underused. The actor's subsequent credits include appearances in "Law & Order: SVU," "Cold Case," and "Monster," among many others. Learned also frequently joins her former co-stars at "Waltons" reunions.

As oldest son John Jr. "John-Boy" Walton, Richard Thomas is among the '70s heartthrobs who are barely recognizable today. His face regularly graced the pages of "Tiger Beat" and other teen mags. The New York native and son of two professional ballet dancers got his start at age 7 and he hasn't stopped ever since. Like Learned, Thomas has remained active onscreen over the decades, most notably playing Nathan Davis in "Ozark." Thomas is also a seasoned stage actor who once performed a Shakespearean scene for Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, when she and then-Prince Charles visited Washington, D.C. in 2015.

Judy Norton, who portrayed eldest daughter Mary Ellen Walton on "The Waltons," has had a high-flying career in the years since the beloved show wrapped — literally. In addition to her acting credits, she holds two world records in skydiving, and has performed flying trapeze and wing-walking acts for "Circus of the Stars" and "Battle of the Network Stars." "My goal is to inspire creativity and encourage positivity," Norton writes in her YouTube bio. "I believe in empowering others and encouraging them to reach for their dreams."

English-born Jon Walmsley moved to L.A. with his family as a child, but makes his home in Cornwall today. Like his character, Jason Walton, music is Walmsley's first love — he's a skilled guitarist and composer — and he spends much of his time recording and touring. In April 2026, he appeared on Judy Norton's YouTube channel to promote his upcoming Grand Ole Opry concert. "I keep on learning new things on my instrument all the time and writing new things and recording," Walmsley shared at the time.

Judy Norton/YouTube

Like Jan Brady, Erin Walton often struggled with middle-child syndrome. Fortunately, Mary McDonough, who played her, has found her own groove. In addition to her lengthy acting résumé — including a Hallmark Christmas movie — McDonough has written three books, including one about her memories of "The Waltons." She also works as an acting coach, a life coach ("I work with people to bring balance into their lives," as the former child star puts it on her website), and an activist who speaks out about the health risks of silicone breast implants, based on McDonough's own experiences.

Ben Walton, the fifth of the seven siblings, had a good head for business, which led him to various sales roles and a job in a lumber factory that was in direct competition with his dad's. His entrepreneurial spirit rubbed off on Eric Scott, who followed his "Waltons" career with a job as an assistant in a messenger service. Today, he's the owner of the company. Scott's second wife tragically died of leukemia shortly after giving birth to their daughter; he remarried in 2001 and welcomed two more children.

The fourth Walton son was young James Robert, aka "Jim-Bob," a boy with mechanical aptitude and big dreams of becoming a pilot. He was played by David W. Harper, who, like most of his TV sibs, also appeared in the subsequent "Waltons" TV movies. But, following 1997's "A Walton Easter," Harper retreated from public life. In 2014, People reported that he had worked briefly for Eric Scott's messenger company before returning to college as a business and history major. Harper still occasionally makes appearances at cast reunions.

With her auburn braids and infectious smile, Kami Cotler stole hearts as youngest sibling Elizabeth Walton. Cotler reprised the role in the many TV movies that followed, but her career focus shifted to education years ago. She began as a teacher and eventually became the principal of a charter school in L.A. Cotler currently works there part-time, at the time of writing. Married with two children, the former child star often joins her TV family at conventions and other promotional events. For Christmas 2025, she and her daughter Callie created and sold "Waltons"-themed ornaments.