Q&A With Judy Norton

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Judy Norton

Judy Norton is an American who starred as Mary Ellen Walton in the long-running series “The Waltons”. Besides acting, she enjoys a variety of sports, some of them in competition circuit: Horse riding and jumping, tennis, snow and water skiing and she did stunts for Circus of the Stars – wingwalking/skydiving and flying trapeze. She has a YouTube Channel, “Behind the Scenes of The Waltons”, where she answers questions about the show, the filming of it, the sets, the cast. She interviews cast members. Check out this show!

KB: Did you always want to be an actress growing up?

Since I started acting and doing theatre at an early age, I’d say, yes it was always what I enjoyed doing and wanted to pursue as a career.

KB: How did you get the part of Mary Ellen Walton on “The Waltons”?

I auditioned for the role of Mary Ellen for the CBS Christmas movie “The Homecoming”, which ended up serving as a sort of pilot for “The Waltons” as a series. When it was determined that CBS wanted to go forward with the series, I was invited back to play Mary Ellen for the series along with all the other Walton children. (Ellen Corby and Richard Thomas)

KB: What did you do with your role to avoid of it getting boring as the show ran for 9 seasons?

Fortunately since I was only 14 when the series started, it gave me a lot of opportunities to evolve and grow up as a person and character on the show. That kept things interesting and challenging.

KB: What is your fondest memory on the show?

The wonderful cast that has become my second family. We always were so close and shared lots of love and laughter over the years. I’m also incredibly proud of the show we all worked so hard to create. From the amazing scripts closely guided by Earl Hamner, to the fabulous crew who created such a perfect, authentic setting and then filmed it to look so realistic. I feel we really set the bar very high for this sort of nostalgic family programming, while continually pushing to tackle tough subjects with touching sensitivity.

KB: I read you love sports and are an athlete: What kind of sports do you enjoy?

Sports have always been my primary hobbies. During “The Waltons”, one of our wardrobe mistresses introduced me to horse riding/jumping and that became one of my lifelong loves. I still ride, jump and compete to this day. Along the way I also participated in numerous other sports including: tennis (I competed in some celebrity tennis tournaments), snow skiing, water skiing, I played on a couple of softball teams including The Waltons team! I trained with roller derby teams. Did stunts for Circus of the Stars – wingwalking/skydiving and flying trapeze. I continued on with skydiving for 10 years amassing around 700 jumps and participating in 2 world records.

KB: You are a writer and director as well. What makes for a great movie or play in your eyes?

For me it’s about the story. The characters. I feel that we have to like and care about the main characters and root for them to win. We have to be willing to go along on the journey of these people experiencing their emotions as they face obstacles and eventually, hopefully, overcome them.

KB: Are there people you would love to collaborate with or you wished you had?

There are so many people whose work I admire that I would love to work with on a project. Ultimately for me, the joy of a project is in the collaboration. Having a strong, supportive, creative team that works together well. That an environment has been created that allows for freedom of exploring ideas, that is positive and enhancing towards those creating the show. I love what PBS does with their Masterpiece series shows. I have a couple of series pilot concept scripts that I would love to see done by PBS.

KB: If I give you a script and asked you to direct the movie, and you could pick the 2 Leads: What would the movie be about and who would you pick?

I’d love a fabulous, period drama about interesting, multi-layered characters. To me, the movie dictates who the cast needs to be.

KB: What are you currently up to?

I have a YouTube Channel, “Behind the Scenes of The Waltons”, where I answer questions about the show, the filming of it, the sets, the cast. I interview cast members. Taking an in-depth look at the various episodes, I share aspects of what went on during the filming. A sneak peek into the world of “The Waltons”.

As mentioned in Q8 – I have some scripts I’ve written or co-written. I would love to find a company to produce these scripts. So that’s always something I’m keeping an ear out for. On the non-work front, I spend a lot of time at the stables, riding and periodically out at competitions. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and making the most of this phase of my life.

Check out Judy’s YouTube Channel: HERE

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