Michael Learned’s iconic portrayal of Olivia Walton, the resilient and empathetic matriarch in The Waltons, catapulted her to widespread acclaim. The role not only left an indelible mark on the viewers but also garnered her numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Recently, the 84-year-old, during a guest TV appearance, made a fascinating revelation about her character on the show, candidly sharing that there is a huge disparity between her onscreen persona and her real-life self.
Michael Learned says her role on ‘The Waltons’ was easy because of her family
Learned, while reuniting with her on-screen daughter Judy Norton for a cooking lesson, reminisced about their time on The Waltons. The 84-year-old revealed that playing the role of the loving mom in the series was quite easy for her because of her experience with her close-knit family.
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“Well, that was easy because I loved my kids,” Learned noted. “I have the good fortune to enjoy my children, I got the great joy of having two families, my own and you guys.”
Unlike her character, she has a filthy mouth
She also disclosed that contrary to the opinion of fans about her based on her screen role, she was not a perfect person in real life. “I have a filthy mouth, as you well know,” Learned explained. “I let some kind of swear word escape once, and I saw people, it almost knocked them to the floor. ‘Olivia Walton knows that word!’ She also knows where those kids came from, too.”
The actress detailed that her character of Olivia Walton was highly inspirational to people, thus she had to keep up with the image. “It’s a responsibility, really, when you’re playing that kind of a role,” Learned confessed.