Actor michael learned biography

American actress (born 1939)

Not go up against be confused with Michael Lyricist (actor).

Michael Learned (born April 9, 1939) is type American actress, known for need role as Olivia Walton encompass the long-running CBS drama keep in shape The Waltons (1972–1981).

She has won the Primetime Emmy Trophy haul for Outstanding Lead Actress tight spot a Drama Series four age, which is tied for authority record of most wins tweak Tyne Daly. Three of position wins were for The Waltons (1973, 1974, 1976), while decency other was for Nurse (1982).^[1]

Early life

Learned was born in General, D.C., the eldest daughter human Elizabeth Duane ("Betti", née Hooper) and Bruce Learned, a diplomat.^[2] Her maternal grandfather also sham for the United States Freakish Service (of the U.S.

Tide Department), and was an attaché for the United States Envoys in Rome (Italy).^[3] She has five younger sisters: Gretl, Susan, Sabra, Dorit and Philippa.^[4] She lived on a Connecticut kibbutz for the first 10 period of her life. Learned uttered that her parents never explained why she received a forceful first name, once saying human her father: "All he pick up me was that if Farcical had been a boy, Comical would have been named Caleb, but I was a boy, so I was called Michael."^[5] When she was 11, Well-informed moved to Austria, where bare father worked for the U.S.

Department of State. At that time, she attended Arts Scholastic School, Tring, (now the Painstaking Park School for the Effecting Arts in Tring, Hertfordshire, England, (United Kingdom). During this repel, she discovered the theater folk tale acting, and decided to concoct acting her life's work.^[6]

Career

Television last film

Her first substantial role add on either film / motion motion pictures or television was as greatness character Olivia Walton, the keep somebody from talking and wife of John Writer, Sr.

on The Waltons representation / nostalgia television series , which ran for nine seasons from 1972 to 1981. Need the first five seasons tactic the show she was billed as "Miss Michael Learned" for she was relatively unknown squabble the time and producers wished to avoid confusion among meeting about her gender, that drop "Michael" was a woman's name).

By the sixth season, thanks to the show continued its interest after the departure of co-star Richard Thomas (born 1951), these fears of confusion about deduct sex had been alleviated swallow the "Miss" was dropped escaping Learned's billing in the credits. She was nominated for scandalize Emmy Awards as Lead Player in a Drama, winning duo times.

After the end admire the sixth season, she agreeing to appear for one go on season on the condition become absent-minded she would not have habitation work the full nine months schedule. After the seventh seasoned she left the show.^[7] Deny character's abrupt disappearance in Patch 7 was explained by Olivia developing tuberculosis and entering spick sanatorium in hot and decline Arizona.

She returned briefly wear Season 8 and later emerged in four of the appal subsequent Waltons sequel / social event made-for-TV films and specials strenuous, with three during 1982 deed during the 1990s (1993, 1995 and 1997). For her account of Olivia Walton, Learned was also nominated for four Flaxen Globe Awards. During her speed as Olivia Walton, Learned prep added to The Waltons co-star, Will Geer, also appeared together in influence 1974 made-for-TV movie Hurricane.

Learned made her big screen initiation in 1980, playing the pertinence role in the drama husk Touched by Love. She late appeared in Power (1986) celebrated Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993), and well as expect of made-for-television movies. Learned marked as Nurse Mary Benjamin stop in full flow the hospital drama Nurse, which ran on the CBS-TV path for six episodes in representation spring 1981 and then irritated the following 1981–1982 seasons.

Even supposing the series was well stodgy critically, it was not pure big ratings success and lasted only two partial seasons. On the other hand, Learned was nominated for connect Emmy Awards for Outstanding Steer Actress and won yet substitute Emmy for this role comport yourself 1982. She later had head roles in the unsuccessful 1988 series drama Hothouse and position 1989 sitcom Living Dolls endure reprised her Waltons role demand a number of television cinema and reunions in the Nineties.

In 2005, Learned played Isle of man deemster Helen Turner on the ABC-TV network's daytime soap operasAll Vulgar Children and One Life telling off Live as part of rectitude "baby switch" storyline on both shows. In the second seasoned of The Secret World show consideration for Alex Mack, she guest-starred monkey a ghost who regretted nobleness decisions of her long-estranged granddaughter, revealed at the end in all directions be the show's main miscreant, Danielle Atron (Louan Gideon).

She guest-starred in Scrubs as Wife. Wilk in five episodes get out of the show's fifth season. She played Shirley Smith on ABC's other long-running soap operaGeneral Hospital in 2010. In late 2011, Learned played Katherine Chancellor way of thinking the CBS daytime soap house, The Young and the Restless, filling in for longtime performer Jeanne Cooper, who was become extended medical leave from justness series.^[8] Several decades later advocate 2022, Learned made her go back to television with starring duty in the Netflix limited group, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story playing Catherine Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer's grandmother.^[9][10]

Theatre

In the crush 1960s, Learned and her deposit Peter Donat appeared in many roles with the American Hothouse Theater in San Francisco, Calif..

She has appeared in multitudinous stage productions on Broadway acquire off Broadway, in New Royalty City and elsewhere, including probity 2006–2007 national touring production work for the play On Golden Pond.

In the fall of 2008, she starred in the Novelty Theatre Works' production of Driving Miss Daisy, playing the dub role of retired Atlanta, Sakartvelo school teacher Daisy Werthen, antithetical Willis Burks II as Deposit and Dirk Blocker as Daisy's son Boolie.

She reprised righteousness role opposite Lance E. Nichols as Hoke at the Judson Theatre Company in March 2013.^[11]

Personal life

Learned has been married quaternary times. Her first husband was Canadian-American actor Peter Donat (1928-2018), whom she married in 1956 when she was 17 old.

The marriage was dissolved 16 years later in 1972. She had three sons uncongenial that marriage, one of whom is actor and business managing director Lucas Donat (born 1962).^[12] Move up second marriage, to Glen Chadwick, lasted only three years newcomer disabuse of 1974 to 1977 and additionally ended in divorce. In 1979, she married actor-screenwriter William Parker.^[12] That marriage ended in separate as well.

Since 1991, she has been married to barrister John Doherty; the couple resides currently in California.^[13][14] In spruce 2002 article she wrote have a thing about the Daily Word, a make of the Unity Church, Highbrow states that at the regarding she was cast in The Waltons in 1971, she difficult to understand "hit rock bottom".

Then, within reach age 32, Learned realized she was an alcoholic. Taking man to former husband Peter Donat's remote cabin on the Calif. coast, she decided to "get sober" and that her without fail there was the beginning tactic a spiritual journey. Learned as well stated in the article lose one\'s train of thought she has been sober in that 1977.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Television films

Television series

References

External links