“The Waltons”' Michael Learned 'Loved' Costar Ralph Waite, and Knows 'He Loved Me,' Despite Never Acting on Their Feelings 

For decades, nan parents connected The Waltons brought cheer to fans pinch their steady, honorable love.

Michael Learned, who played matriarch Olivia, precocious revealed that she intentionally kept her narration pinch her on-screen husband, John, nan precocious Ralph Waite, platonic.

"I conscionable loved him and he loved me. That was very existent and we were besides very wise. We didn't slumber together successful existent life," nan actress, 86, said astatine nan instrumentality arena The Hollywood Show connected June 7. "We knew that that could conscionable spell downhill. So arsenic overmuch arsenic we loved each other, we were conscionable very respectful of nan show and who we were and who our characters were. So we conscionable remained dear, beloved friends."

The series, astir a family surviving successful nan mountains of Virginia during nan Great Depression, ran for 8 seasons betwixt 1972 and 1980. The occurrence of nan show led to six TV movies, which wrapped up successful 1997.

Waite died successful 2014 astatine nan property of 85. He past reunited pinch nan formed conscionable a twelvemonth earlier his decease for an question and reply pinch Entertainment Weekly.

The actor, who played nan family's hardworking father, is still remembered fondly by his onscreen children, on pinch Learned.

"Ralph and Michael were nan gatekeepers of honesty of nan show. Ralph was impatient pinch thing that was going to beryllium fake, false, reversed nan guideline. Michael, aforesaid way," Richard Thomas, 73, who played John-Boy, said during The Hollywood Show panel. "They were exemplars of keeping it honorable and keeping it existent and questioning and making judge that it was right. So they benignant of were nan beacons of integrity for each this arsenic we each tried to do it, but they really were nan leaders."

At nan event, nan formed shared immoderate behind-the-scenes looks of nan family's signature moments, including nan predominant scenes astir nan meal table. Learned revealed that she ne'er really ate nan nutrient shown successful nan show.

"She'll move nan nutrient and past she'll trim a portion and past it will attack her lips conscionable arsenic an absorbing portion of speech happens," Judy Norton, 67, who played eldest girl Mary Sue, said of Learned. "And past she looks up and puts nan fork down. I retrieve 2 shots of you and Ralph wherever he conscionable yet said, 'Take a bite! Take a bite!' "

Kami Cotler, 59, who played Elizabeth, said nan nutrient sewage "very gross" aft utilizing nan aforesaid plates for aggregate takes.

"A three-minute room segment takes 4 hours to film," she said. "So nan nutrient conscionable gets much and much congealed and they put connected your sheet and scrape it backmost onto nan serving dish. But Ralph, he was realistic. He would eat."

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The formed besides reflected connected nan effect The Waltons has had complete nan years.

"I don't deliberation anybody expected that 50 years later group would still beryllium talking astir nan show. I deliberation location was authenticity successful nan relationships connected nan show that was real," said Eric Scott, 66, who played Ben, nan 3rd Walton son. "I deliberation that what group saw betwixt america was real. Essentially erstwhile we were each together it was a awesome emotion communicative and group responded to that."