Four-time Primetime Emmy award-winning actress Michael Learned chatted about starring in the new Ryan Murphy Netflix series, being a part of “The Waltons,” and her illustrious career in the entertainment business.
New Ryan Murphy series on Netflix
She will be playing a lead role in the new Ryan Murphy Netflix limited series, which was co-created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, and was greenlighted by Netflix this past fall. Its working title is “Monster” and it is about a serial killer. “I am really excited about it. It was wonderful to work with Ryan Murphy, I really respect all of the series that he has done. He is fabulous and I was thrilled when I got the role. He is a genius,” she said.
Learned joins a cast that is further ramping up, with Murphy regular Evan Peters now aboard as Dahmer and Richard Jenkins and Penelope Ann Miller set as his parents.
‘The Waltons’
This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the hit series, “The Waltons,” where she played her iconic role Olivia Walton, one of television’s most respected moms. “It was a good show. Although filming it involved long hours of working, I got a second family out of it and it was steady work. I am very grateful,” she said.
“I loved working with Ralph Waite, we had incredible chemistry,” she said. “As long as I am working I am happy.”
“Earl Hamner Jr., the writer, told good stories. His writing was great, and it was nice for me to have a second family,” she added.
A four-time Emmy winner, a People’s Choice recipient, and a multiple Golden Globe nominee, Learned’s first series regular audition was for the role of a lifetime and would define a lifetime as Olivia Walton on the hit series “The Waltons,” a role she was told would probably not continue beyond the pilot.
On winning four Primetime Emmy Awards, she said, “Those felt wonderful, unexpected, and really exciting. The first Emmy in particular was really unexpected. I went with my son, I was enjoying it and having a good time, and it never really occurred to me that I was even in the running. When I won, it was a huge surprise and I am very grateful.”
“The Waltons” ran for a decade, making Learned the quintessential TV Mom, as Olivia Walton, beating Shirley Partridge by six years, Carol Brady by four years, and even Caroline Ingalls by one year.
Audiences could and still can relate to families living in the depression era. Though times were tough, much like today, love and sharing are abundant in this family. In addition, she became a fixture in daytime television for her regular roles on “General Hospital,” “The Young and The Restless,” as well as a cross-over character (Judge Turner) in both “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.”
Her Broadway appearances include Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” and Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Sisters Rosenweig” and the Broadway production of “The Out Going Tide,” followed by the successful production of “The Outgoing Tide” in New York and a tour with “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Learned appeared in the critically acclaimed digital dramedy entitled “Life Interrupted” and late last year completed work on “Second Acts,” which was directed by Anya Adams.
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she said, “Golden Years.”
For young and aspiring actors, she said, “Study. Learn the craft. Take lessons, it takes years to be a star, you don’t become one overnight.”
Learned acknowledged that doing daytime dramas was “fun” but “a lot of work.” “Those people have my deep respect, they learn pages and pages of dialogue every night, it’s amazing what they do. I am really impressed by the soap actors. In primetime, you only do one or two pages of script a day,” she said.
On the key to longevity in the entertainment business, she said, “Just keep going. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and show up. That’s my advice to everybody for everything.”
“Now, life is good. I am married to John, he’s a wonderful guy, and I have great grandchildren. I love my kids and grandkids dearly. I am in the golden years and they are golden,” she said.
Regarding her definition of the word success, she revealed, “Success means that I get another job.”
Fans
For her loyal fans, Learned concluded, “I love my fans, and a lot of them have become close friends. My fans are the best people in the world because they love the show and they are nice people.”
To learn more about Emmy award-winning actress Michael Learned, check out her IMDb page.
