What Happened to the Waltons After The Waltons Finished?

Imagine that you've grown up in the public eye. That everybody knows your face with the familiarity of a member of their own family.

And it's a visage that they associate with wholesome living, family values and God-fearing goodness.

Then imagine trying to get a job.

Especially as an actor, in an age when the public appetite has moved beyond wholesome and good. After all, that's why The Waltons was cancelled in the first place.

For most of the young cast of the show, this was the reality that they faced. How they reacted to the challenge wasn't always with the wisest of choices.

In a nutshell, the show was all about John-Boy Walton's aspirations to make it as a writer. He realized his dream by telling stories about the Walton family.

Change the word 'writer' to 'actor', and this doubles as a brief biography for Richard Thomas too.

As the luckiest - or best advised - of the Walton children actors, he was the only one who was able to translate the show's success into further acting roles.

However, he had two factors working in his favor. The first was that Richard could act elsewhere, concurrently with playing John-Boy Walton. He was an adult actor, even at the show's beginning, so bypassed the legal time restrictions placed upon his peers.

He carefully selected roles which were the antithesis of his Walton character. As that show's first season galloped underway, viewers could also watch Richard Thomas as a murderer and rapist in You'll Like My Mother.

The second factor was that he left The Waltons, just as it reached the height of its popularity. Audiences became used to seeing another actor (Robert Wightman) as the face of John-Boy. It further muddied the stereotyping waters somewhat.

Since then, Richard Thomas has never been out of acting work. He's featured in several movies, plays and television shows, in a variety of roles.

In The Waltons, Jason was a musical child, who developed a talent for playing a variety of instruments. He eventually became a musician and married Toni Hazleton.

That's precisely what happened to Jon Walmsley too!  Including marrying Lisa Harrison, the actress who played Toni.

Except that it was Jason copying Jon. The couple were already wed, when Lisa joined the cast of The Waltons in 1980.

However, the wedding really was like a scene from the show. Ralph Waite (John Walton) is an ordained Presbyterian minister in real life, so he officiated over their vows. Then it was off to Michael Learned's (Olivia Walton) house for the reception. All of Jon's on-screen siblings attended the nuptials.

Unfortunately the marriage didn't last. Jon and Lisa divorced in 2008, after twenty-nine years together. They have one daughter named Brighton, but can no longer stand to be in the same room as each other.

The ink was barely dry on the divorce papers, before Jon was heading down the altar again with his Bavarian bride, Marion.

He had been on a promotional tour in Europe, wherein fans of The Waltons were able to meet the stars. (It's a testimony to the enduring popularity of the show, that this was possible and well attended nearly thirty years after the last season was filmed.)

The future Marion Walmsley was one of the fans who came to see him in Germany. The couple now live in Los Angeles, California.

Jason Walton dreamed of making a living playing music.  Jon Walmsley did.

After The Waltons ended, the actor apparently didn't even try to secure more film or television work. He committed himself full-time to his music career instead.

For much of the 1980s, Jon played guitar, as part of the background bands supporting Richard Marx, Roger Daltrey and other soloists. When those stars waned, Jon struck out alone, or with his own band, UK Beats.

Playing Mary Ellen Walton cast a long shadow over the acting career of Judy Norton (now Judy Norton-Taylor). 

It wasn't until 1997 - sixteen years after The Waltons was over - that bit parts in television shows began trickling in again. It's only been recently that such roles have been recurring.

In 2013, she featured three times as Judge Sophia Wyndom in Bluff. It's a crime drama based upon the Canadian show Poker Girls, which also sees Judy with writing and directing credits.  In 2014, there will be four appearances as The Organizer, in Disorganized Zone.

The problem was quickly identified. Just as soon as Judy attended auditions, in the aftermath of The Waltons, she was informed that Mary Ellen was just too 'goody-goody'. Viewers wouldn't find her believable in any other role, let alone more meaty ones.

In 1985, four years after the cancellation of the show, Judy decided to 'shake things up'. That's when she approached Playboy magazine and featured as its naked centerfold.

It didn't work. The press had a field day, and people like me have brought it up in articles ever since. All of us following the same theme - what would Mary Ellen Walton say about this?!

Nobody at all had much to say a year later, when Judy entered into several sky-diving championships and emerged with two world records. After all, that kind of athletic enterprise was precisely the sort of thing that Mary Ellen would do.

Judy did secure a series of stage roles in low key theaters. It was hardly Broadway, but it paid the bills. She also toured as a singer, but again only in small-scale venues.

It was this dearth of work, which finally saw her move to Canada for eight years, where she bought two theaters and acted as artistic co-director with her second husband, Randy Apostle. The couple had been living in Los Angeles until then.

When that marriage began to fail, Judy returned to the USA with her young son, Devin. Her divorce came through in 2001. A year later, she married her third husband, Robert Graves.

This time around, the acting roles finally began to arrive. But they have yet to reach anything like the level she enjoyed as Mary Ellen.

In 1971, Judy's real life elder sister Ricki was having boyfriend troubles. In a bid to cheer her up, their stepmother took both girls to her Scientology meetings.

Two weeks later, the thirteen year old actress learned that she'd secured the coveted role of Mary Ellen Walton. She did not see that as a coincidence. Judy and her sister ended up accompanying their stepmother to meetings, three evenings a week thereon.

At first it was just a bit of fun, somewhere to go and hang out with friends. As the years flew by, Judy started taking a keener interest in the underlying philosophy. By 1976, when The Waltons was in its fifth season, she had reached the level of Scientologist minister.

It was at a workshop there that she met Douglas Taylor. A fellow minister, he is the reason that her surname became hyphenated to Norton-Taylor. In the same year that Mary Ellen married Curtis Willard on-screen, Judy tied the knot with Douglas off-screen.

Unfortunately, the marriage only lasted two years. But she remains a committed Scientologist to this day.

1981 was a bad year for Eric Scott.  Not only was The Waltons cancelled, but he was also divorced by his wife of two years, Karey Louis Scott.

Waltons fans once glimpsed her by the way.  She played Erato in the season 9 episode The Threshold, while still married to Eric in real life.

The actress couldn't cope with the deep depression into which Eric slipped, when he realized that no studio would hire a Walton for other roles.

For the first year or two, he kept on trying. He described the rejection letters as 'devastation', which pushed him even further into decline. Eventually, he found himself merely alone sitting around the house watching Bonanza on repeat.

Which wasn't to say that there weren't any parts at all. Eric was a supporting actor in a film by cult movie director Larry Buchanan in 1982. But even by his 'schlockmeister' standards, the Loch Ness Horror was bad.

Eric also had a bit part in an episode of The Fall Guy in 1985, but otherwise there were simply no roles for him. Rapidly running out of money, he had to get a job and fast. 

Looking down the 'situations vacant' column of the local newspaper, he found an advertisement for Chase Messengers - a courier company - who were looking for drivers. The wage wasn't quite the $250,000 dollars that he was used to as an actor on The Waltons, but he went for it anyway. It was the beginning of the career path, upon which he's still on to this day.

He recalled a distinctly low point during the 1980s, when he had to deliver a message to the executive of his old studio. In his courier uniform, Eric hurried past a massive, full-length promotional poster for The Waltons - in which his younger self beamed back in all innocence. Neither those at the front desk, nor the executive, recognized him.

As the years passed, Eric was promoted to a position in the sales department. He later joined the management team. 

These days, his bread and butter job is as CEO of Chase Couriers, an off-shoot of Chase Messengers. However, a couple of cameo roles in acting have transpired too. In 1997, he was Steinman in Defying Gravity - a film about gay rights - and in 2001, he played Arthur in the romantic comedy Never Again.

Personal tragedy has dogged Eric Scott's life too.  In September 1989, he married Theresa Fargo, a woman whom he'd known since high school. The two were well suited and genuinely in love.

When she became pregnant, in 1992, they decorated a nursery, picked out names and attended pre-natal classes with all the excitement and enthusiasm of any expectant parents. But late in the pregnancy, Theresa developed a rash and became quite lethargic. The couple thought nothing much about that, assuming it was a natural reaction, part of expecting a baby.

Better safe than sorry, they visited their doctor, who grew concerned enough to direct them to the hospital for further tests. It turned out that she had acute myelomonocytic leukemia.

That was October 30th 1992.  On November 3rd, their daughter Ashley was born via Caesarian section, a month early, in order to save her life. Two days later, Theresa died having not seen her baby.

Eric was left in mourning, with a premature new-born daughter and a full-time job. Family members immediately rallied around to help him, culminating with Theresa's Auntie Jean relocating from her home in Montana. She lived with Eric, so to care for the baby.

There was a further complication too. Eric is Jewish, Theresa was Catholic. Eric was determined that Ashley would be raised with knowledge of both religions. Fortunately, the local rabbi and priest were able to work together to help him forge a feasible compromise.

Eric Scott was at a grief counseling session, when he met Cynthia Ullman Wolfen. Her husband had died of lung cancer, so the two had plenty to talk about. Bit by bit, that mutual support became a real friendship, then romance.

They married in March 2001, and their daughter Emma was born a few months later. Their family was completed in 2004, when their son Jeremy Ethan arrived.

A fact that's delighted fans of The Waltons is that Cynthia goes by the name Cindy. Ben got to marry Cindy in real life too!  (Though, unlike Jon, not the actress who played the screen version!)

Throughout her time on The Waltons, Mary Beth McDonough had been told that she was 'the pretty one'.

While some girls might have taken that as a compliment, it bothered Mary greatly. For a start, it made her hyper-conscious of her looks. We can all see the flaws in ourselves that others pass over. For Mary, those grew into gigantic defects.

Her self-esteem regarding her appearance sank rapidly into the depths, and became deadly.

By the time The Waltons was cancelled, in 1981, Mary was already trying various health and body treatments, in order to boost her physicality. This included everything from diets and fitness regimes, through to the more wacky ideas, like being injected with the urine of pregnant women, in order to lose weight.

Relative to the rest of the younger Walton children, Mary Beth McDonough did quite well in securing film and television roles. They were largely bit parts and sparse in coming.

In addition to reprising Erin Walton in the film sequels, she appeared on screen eleven times during the 1980s, and another eleven in the following decade. But few of those were really parts to write home about.

Lupus Erythematosus is an auto-immune condition, which affects different parts of the body in quite drastic ways. It's also extremely poorly understood, even by doctors, which is why it took so long to diagnose it in Mary McDonough.

In worse case scenarios, it can be life-threatening. The actress's condition was fortunately discovered before it hit that point.

However, ten years was enough to cause lasting damage to her body, and to continue to affect her life. She married actor Rob Wickstrom in 1988. Those leaking breast implants were still inside her body, while she was pregnant with their daughter Sydnee.

Since birth, Sydnee has suffered from debilitating bouts of vomiting. She also has multiple disabilities and other conditions. It was largely because of this that Mary - once she'd discovered the truth - turned her rage into political activism and law suits.

Her first step was to have the silicone removed from her breasts. To her horror, she learned that the pads had largely disintegrated, but the remainder was taken out. Her own health issues seemed to clear up almost immediately.

The actress then joined a class action suit taken out against Dow, the company behind the breast implants, along with many others in a similar position. Evidence stacked up to prove that Dow had been aware of the health risks, including the danger of developing lupus, but had never communicated that in the public sphere.

Along with her fellow claimants, Mary won her suit. But the compensation merely paid for their health expenses.

Since then, Mary has led the campaign to legally prevent anything like this happening to another person. Her political treks have taken her to Washington DC to canvas politicians. Meanwhile, the actress has used her fame to raise awareness of lupus amongst the general public.

The quality of the shows got better. Mary found bit roles in episodes of Ally McBeal, Will and Grace, ER and Boston Legal, before securing steady work as Mrs Wilhoite in The New Adventures of Old Christine. There have also been small movie roles, including Elizabeth in Lake Effects (2012) and Jessica's mother in The Costume Shop (2014).

Her marriage to Rick didn't survive all the ill health. But she found happiness with her second husband, Don Couch. The couple had dated for years before they surprised everyone with the wedding in 2011.

Their friends and family thought they were going to Maggio's Italian Restaurant, in Los Angeles, for a meal to belatedly celebrate Mary's 50th birthday. As soon as they were all settled, Don went down on one knee and proposed.

It wasn't quite as spontaneous as it looked.  Sydnee and Don's daughters arrived in bridesmaid dresses, and the ceremony happened there and then.

Surrounded by family in a fairy tale ending. That's just like Erin Walton would have had it!

Back in 2004, The Waltons fandom was in mourning. David W. Harper was dead, and nobody knew how or why.

Forums were flooded with well wishes and memorial posts, which are still picked and added to by fans late to the news.

However, it was all a big misunderstanding. It wasn't the actor who had died. It was Jim Hamner - brother of author Earl Hamner - the real life prototype for the character of Jim-Bob Walton.

In truth, while fans had been saddened by the (incorrect) rumors of David's untimely demise, no-one had been particularly surprised. The very fact that the one-time child actor protected his privacy so completely seemed to hint at sinister undercurrents.

The persistent rumors that David W. Harper was gay led some to make the sordid assumption that he'd died of AIDS. Despite the fact that the actor has never once been linked amorously with anyone, male, female or any gender in between. 

Others seized upon hints of drug addiction in the past, which had led him to check into a rehabilitation unit. Was it an overdose that had finally seen David W. Harper off? 

Yet no-one mused upon the fact that, in this age of paparazzi and celebrity gossip columnists, not a solitary story or picture of an incapacitated Jim-Bob Walton had ever made it into the press. Wherever those wild parties were taking place, it patently wasn't anywhere near his home in North Hollywood.

Was it suicide then? The word on the street was that in the post-Waltons wastes, devoid of acting opportunities because everyone saw him as Jim-Bob, David W. Harper had suffered some kind of mental breakdown.

Hiding away in a house in Los Angeles, nobody had realized for a long time. Only gradually did it become clear - on account of all of the ex-Waltons actors keeping in contact with each other - that David had become somewhat of a recluse.

In an intervention worthy of a scene from The Waltons, Eric Scott - who'd played big brother Ben Walton - knocked on the door to investigate. He found David in a bad way and found him a therapist, who specialized in sorting out adults who had been famous child actors. A handy occupation in Hollywood.

Once David was back on his feet, Eric arranged for him to get a job at Chase Messengers as a courier.

But did it actually happen?  It's one of those perennial showbiz legends that gets repeated often as fact, but with no primary source confirming nor denying it. Neither David nor Eric have ever gone on record with the story.

It could well just be one of those myths used to fill the gaps, when writers (like me) have nothing else to say. A beautiful tale of peril and redemption that endures because Ben would come to save Jim-Bob.

David W. Harper is purportedly highly amused by reports of his death. He takes them in good spirits, even when his reputation is being dragged through the mud via speculation.

Anyone checking out a reunion or fan event, which brings together the cast of The Waltons, will undoubtedly have noticed that he's very well. He does try to attend as many of those as he can.

Was he ever a recluse?  David is certainly very private, and apparently does occasionally go missing.  Producer and director Mark Murray mentioned that, when he was organizing his own Waltons reunion in 2001.

"They're all in touch with each other although David Harper, who played Jim-Bob, is the black sheep Walton. He's a bit of a recluse and has had various jobs. Sometimes he's hard to track down." 

Those comments came in the wake of an incident, wherein Mark had arranged for fans to tour the set of The Waltons, behind the Warners Studio in Hollywood. David met them there. However, the actor was also supposed to travel with them to a fan convention in Virginia.  He didn't turn up and nobody could get hold of him.

No public explanation was ever given. It might have just been a mix up.

After The Waltons was cancelled, David W. Harper did initially look for more acting work.  He featured in the American Civil War miniseries The Blue and the Grey (1982), then nothing until 1985, when he was cast as a bit part in the Chevy Chase movie Fletch. The following year, there was a small role as 'pay-out guy' in a gangster movie entitled 3:15.

Other than the six Waltons movie sequels, that was it for David W. Harper's acting career.

Instead, he attempted to make a living as a scenic artist, before finding steady work as a Los Angeles art dealer. He's never married.

With much thanks to the lovely Kami Cotler, who read this Wizzley article and commented to correct a handful of details in her biography.

There is something a little bit rock'n'roll about the way Kami Cotler left the set of The Waltons. But that's where it ends.

She was just six years old when the show began. She was only sixteen when it was cancelled. Kami took her wages and plowed a good portion into purchasing a classic Thunderbird car.

Then she used it to drive to Hampshire College, where more savings paid the tuition fees. Kami had decided she didn't want to be an actress.

Fact and fiction blurred beautifully during her college days, when Kami took off around the world. Like the globe-trotter Elizabeth Walton, Kami spent her 'extended summer vacation' wandering around New York and Europe, as the fancy took her. It was her gift to herself after so many years of hard work.

Though there's a school of thought that her greatest personal gift was her husband - Kim Howard - whom she encountered in London, then 'imported... back to the States'.  Then it was back to college and onto her graduation.

While those playing her on-screen siblings were struggling to gain work and fighting depression, Kami was studying for her degree in Social Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She also gained a teacher credential in English.

Even more Walton-esque was what happened next.  Kami relocated into a rural community within the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  Earl Hamner had grown up not too far away!

That wasn't quite as coincidental as it may appear. Kami Cotler visited the Walton's Mountain Museum there, and fell in love with the area. (The real world filming of The Waltons had taken place on a back-lot in Hollywood. She'd not spent any quality time in the Blue Ridge Mountains before!) Hence Kami began looking for work there.

Kami became a teacher for at-risk High School students and stayed in Nelson County for eight years. Kami and Kim lived on a farm in the mountains. Yet she hadn't turned her back totally on acting. She taught drama in the evenings!

Their son Cotton arrived in 1997, while daughter Callan Freya was born in April 2000. While Kami taught, Kim took the role of a stay-at-home Dad for their kids.

A year later, the family returned to California. Kami had spotted an educational opportunity in the Charter School movement in Inglewood.

For the past decade and a half, Kami Cotler has been an educator - teacher, parent and finally administrator - within the Charter Schools in Los Angeles. 

She helped to establish a K-8 school in West Los Angeles. Before moving to found and direct two middle schools: the Environmental Charter School in Inglewood, and its eponymous counterpart in Gardena. Her daughter and son were enrolled as students in the Middle and High schools respectively.

These are publicly funded, independent learning establishments, wherein teachers and parents fund-raise in order to provide an education for their children. However, tuition is free and anyone, from any background, can enroll. It ensures that no bias will be afforded based on creed, color or socioeconomic factors.

The schools act under an eponymous charter, issued by the Los Angeles education authorities.

Or, as Kami told us herself down below, 'Charter schools in California are funded like any public school and take the same state tests. Our teachers are credentialed and we teach the state standards. Any child can attend and there are no fundraising requirements of families or teachers. It doesn't matter where you live and if more students apply than seats are available, we have a random lottery.'

Naturally, Kami has pulled in her co-stars from The Waltons, whenever a little extra fundraising is necessary. Their presence ensues that the functions are extremely well attended!