Richard Thomas is finally opening up about Ellen Corby, the Oscar-winning actress who played Grandma Walton on The Waltons, and the bond they shared during the show’s early years. At 74, Thomas is speaking candidly about how she shaped him both as an actor and as a young man navigating sudden fame. Thomas, born Richard Earl Thomas in New York City in 1951, grew up surrounded by the arts. His parents, both ballet dancers with the New York City Ballet, instilled in him an early understanding of discipline and hard work.
He began acting as a child in the early 1960s, appearing in shows like The Defenders and Hallmark Hall of Fame before landing his breakthrough role as John Boy Walton in 1972. The part made him one of the most recognized young stars in America and earned him an Emmy for best lead actor in a drama in 1973. Now, reflecting on those years, Thomas is sharing memories of Corby that he has long kept private out of respect for her legacy. She was a real force, he recalled, describing her as someone who didn’t need to be loud or flashy, but whose presence was always felt on set.
When The Waltons began, Thomas was still a teenager carrying the weight of a hit series. Corby, by contrast, had already spent decades working in film and television. That contrast, he says, made their connection particularly meaningful. He remembers her as a quiet mentor who looked out for the younger cast members without making a show of it.
I was figuring out how to be grown up while acting like one on camera, he said. Ellen got that without him having to say it. She quietly looked after everybody, especially the young ones. Corby suffered a stroke in 1976 that affected her speech and mobility, forcing the production to adapt her role.
Thomas has spoken honestly about how watching her persevere left a lasting impression on him. What happened to her was so sad, he said. But the biggest thing I remember is how hard she fought. She wanted to keep acting.
For her, acting wasn’t work. It was her whole self. He says her determination to return to the set taught him more about resilience than any formal lesson ever could. Even as her body changed, her instincts as a performer did not.
Thomas recalled moments when a single glance from her elevated an entire scene. She didn’t need tons of words, he said. Sometimes she’d look right at you and bam, the moment felt important. That’s true acting.
Off camera, Corby was private and could come across as distant, and Thomas acknowledges that some people misread her. Some folks thought she was strict or cold, he said. But I think that was just her protection. Deep down, she cared so much.
She just didn’t show big feelings all the time. He says she expressed care through professionalism and reliability rather than overt affection. Thomas, who left The Waltons in 1977 to pursue other roles, has since built a career spanning theater, film, and television, including turns in It, The Americans, and Ozark. Through all of it, he says, Corby’s influence stayed with him.
She showed me that staying in this business a long time comes from being real and honest, he said. You come ready. You honor the job and you honor the people with you. Reflecting on her legacy, Thomas grew thoughtful.
Ellen is in TV history, he said. But to me, she’s in my own story. I grew up with her right there, helping guide us in ways we didn’t even get back then.
At 74 and still active as an actor, Thomas says his words about Corby now feel less like a eulogy and more like a thank you, to a woman whose strength, work ethic, and quiet compassion helped define a beloved show and the young actor at its center.
