In the 1970s, The Waltons was one of the biggest shows on TV. Airing for nine seasons from 1972 to 1981, the CBS drama series was based on Earl Hamner Jr.’s book, Spencer’s Mountain, and boasted a supersized cast, fronted by Richard Thomas, who played eldest son John-Boy Walton.
When Thomas decided to leave the show at the end of Season 5, it could have been the end of the beloved series. Instead, producers decided to recast the iconic character and keep the show going.
Still at the peak of his popularity, Thomas appeared as a guest star in three Waltons episodes in Season 6 before leaving the original Waltons series for good. He was replaced by Robert Wightman in Season 8 until the series ended.
The change in John-Boy’s appearance came after he suffered a coma after a plane accident during World War II.
Fans couldn’t believe the recasting, and neither could some of the cast members, because the original John-Boy was irreplaceable.
“When they recast Richard Thomas, we were like, ‘They’ve lost their minds!’’ said Kami Cotler (Elizabeth Walton on the series) in an interview with Cinephiled. “I felt terrible for Bob, what a terrible position he was in. I remember we took him out to lunch and tried to be really nice, we all felt sorry for him.”
Michael Learned, who played matriarch Olivia Walton on the series, also felt it was strange to welcome Wightman to the show with its already close-knit cast.
“I felt sorry for him,” she told Smashing Interviews. “How do you fill those shoes? I mean, John-Boy. And here’s the new John-Boy. We all hated it. Taking the bandages off, and here’s a new face on John-Boy and a new voice. I hated it. We all did. So we tried very hard not to take it out on this poor kid. It wasn’t his fault. He’s just an actor who was given a job. We didn’t take it out on him. We were very kind to him. He was a sweet guy.”
Thomas has spoken often about his decision to walk away from his breakout role at age 26.
”I did feel at that point in time that John-Boy had grown to a certain plan, age-wise,” the actor said in an interview on his former co-star Judy Norton’s YouTube channel. “And going to college, and all that, how much more could he have been that character? How much more was there for me to bring?”
“I felt good about [Robert Wightman] doing the part, but it is very peculiar when someone takes over your role,” Thomas admitted, adding that he knew Wightman would have a hard time finding acceptance with Waltons fans.
“I felt for Robert,” Thomas said. “I thought, it’s not going to be easy for him.”
Related: ‘70s TV Legend Reveals the One Famous Line He Still Hears From Fans 50 Years Later
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