Michael Learned, who played the iconic mother figure Olivia Walton, has left everyone stunned with her stunning look at 84 years old. But that’s not all; the actress recently spilled the beans about her true feelings for her on-screen husband, Ralph Waite…
Ralph Waite and Michael Learned became well-known as Olivia and John Walton in the popular show Waltons.
The show depicted the story of a family with multiple children and grandparents, as they faced challenges in overcoming the hardships caused by the Great Depression.
The series was a big breakthrough for both Learned and Waite who rose to stardom almost overnight.
Both of them had similar upbringings. They were the eldest in big families. Even though Learned was born in Washington D.C., she grew up on a farm in Connecticut with her five younger sisters. At eleven, she moved to Austria and studied at the Arts Educational School, Tring, which is now known as the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Learned was 33 years old when she landed the role that made her famous.
Waite, however, grew up in White Plains, New York. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the Marines before pursuing higher education.
When it came to their personal lives, they were far from the lives they played on screen.
Learned has been married three times in her life. At the age of 17, she got married to Canadian-American actor Peter Donat and they had three sons together. After that, she got married two more times before eventually finding her true love, John Doherty, who is her current partner.
During the filming of Waltons, Learned faced challenges with alcohol addiction. However, her on-screen husband played a crucial role in helping her overcome these problems. “When the show began, I was heavily drinking, and Ralph truly saved me,” she expressed.
While taking breaks from filming, she would often visit nearby restaurants to have a drink, returning to set intoxicated. Waite had a conversation with her, addressing her problems and helping her understand the importance of giving up drinking. She stayed at her ex-husband’s cottage by the California coast to get sober.
Waite, similar to Learned, got married three times before discovering his happiness. Nevertheless, despite both finding love, rumors always circulated about their relationship.
After Waite died in 2019, Learned revealed that she and Waite were actually in love, but they never pursued a relationship because they were worried about the impact on the show. They knew that if things didn’t work out, it could have caused problems.
Learned mentioned that we had a strong love for each other, but we decided not to take it further to avoid ruining it.
We never actually did it, we considered it, but we didn’t. That’s why we became like spiritual partners, and I really miss him. His wife is a close friend of mine. However, what Ralph and I had was something that was evident on screen.
They selected the show that brought joy to millions of viewers throughout the years instead of their affection for each other.
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