Episode 21 – Getting Acquainted With ‘Waltons’ Star Michael Learned - Part 1

On this episode of Hollywood Obsessed, host Tony Miros chats with four-time Emmy Award-winning actress Michael Learned about her early beginnings in the theater at San Francisco's famed American Conservatory Theatre, how she got cast in the iconic role of ‘Olivia Walton’ on the long-running CBS drama series “The Waltons”, what it was like working on the set with Richard Thomas and the six child actors who played her children on the show, how she dealt with suddenly being America’s favorite TV mom and her remarkable return to television in the critically acclaimed Ryan Murphy Netflix limited series “DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” playing Dahmer’s grandmother Catherine!

MICHAEL LEARNED

Born in Washington D.C., at the age of six, her family moved from NJ to a farm in CT. As the oldest of six girls, she was eleven when they moved to Austria, where her father worked for the OSS (later known as the CIA), to live in a tiny village called St. Gilgen. From there she went to boarding school at The Arts Educational School in England. Primarily a ballet school, her 11-year old dream was to become a prima ballerina. However, to everyone’s surprise, she won the drama cup and at her teachers suggestions she focused on “special drama” instead of ballet.

At the age of 16, she went to the London School and completed her dramatic training. Upon her return to the states, at 17 years of age, she married Peter Donat and had 3 children by the time she was 24. As her marriage to Peter was breaking up, fifteen years later, she moved to Los Angeles and landed the part of Olivia Walton in “The Waltons.”

Since then, Michael has become a four-time Emmy award-winning actress (three for “The Waltons” and one for “Nurse”). She has received a People’s Choice Award and has been a three- time Golden Globe nominee. On stage, she starred in “Steel Magnolias” at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, in the national tour of “On Golden Pond” and in Lewis Black’s “One Slight Hitch.”

Her films include “For the Love of Mary,” “Life During Wartime,” “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” and “Power,” directed by Sidney Lumet. Her television credits include everything from “Gunsmoke,” “Police Story,” and “Murder, She Wrote,” to “Cold Case,” “Scrubs,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Profiler,” “A Father for Brittany,” “Murder in New Hampshire,” “Roots: The Gift,” “All My Sons,” as well as “All My Children,” “General Hospital” and “Nurse” to name a few.

One of TV’s most respected moms, four-time Emmy winner, Michael Learned, is currently starring in Ryan Murphy’s limited series, “DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” about the serial killer, directed by Ryan Murphy and co-created by Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. She joins a cast as the grandmother of the infamous killer, Catherine Dahmer, with Evan Peters as Dahmer and supporting cast including Niecy Nash, Richard Jenkins, Penelope Ann Miller, Molly Ringwald and Dylan Burnside.

She also recently joined her beloved “Waltons” TV family and special guests for a cast Q&A and exhibit with costumes, props, scripts, and more supplied by Warner Brothers that were unveiled at The Hollywood Museum - in the historic Max Factor Building in Hollywood - in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of “The Waltons.”

For more information about “The Waltons” exhibit at the Hollywood Museum or to purchase tickets, click here - https://thehollywoodmuseum.com

Michael Learned’s Official Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/theMichaelLearned/

You can also follow Michael on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michaellearnedofficial/

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