Audiences shout ''Goodnight, John-Boy'' at Richard Thomas during his stage performances

The actor still can't escape "Goodnight, John-Boy."

No matter how big of a star you become, it’ll never stop some people from recognizing you from the show that gave you your first big break. That was the case for Richard Thomas and his role of John-Boy on The Waltons — and he didn’t mind it one bit. 

Before he was a television icon, Thomas was a Broadway star at the ripe age of seven when he debuted in Sunrise at Campobello. Thomas’s parents danced with the New York City Ballet and owned the New York City School of Ballet, so there was no shortage of the arts in his childhood.

When Thomas spoke with the Courier-Journal, however, he spoke of what he called his “Garden of Eden.” Thomas found his real paradise in the Kentucky town of Paintsville where he visited his grandparents. He said of Paintsville, “I spent every summer as a child with my cousins and grandparents on their farm outside of Paintsville. Kentucky was my childhood paradise... I loved it.” 

The experiences were so influential that while portraying country-born John-Boy, Thomas drew on those previous summers to add realism.

At 71, Thomas was still hard at work on the stage, taking up the role of Atticus Finch in the National Broadway Tour of To Kill A Mockingbird (a role he still holds at the time of writing), though that doesn’t mean his days with The Waltons was at its end. The Courier-Journal wrote that often after a show during bows, audience members will call “Goodnight, John-Boy” up to Thomas from the crowd.

When asked about his feelings regarding the call, Thomas said, “It’s fine with me. I love it. I mean, what are you going to do?”

Watch The Waltons on MeTV!

Weekdays at 12 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

7 Comments

rubyslippers1234 6 months ago
Ron Howard said during his free throws while playing in high school basketball games, spectators whistled the AG show theme to distract him. 🤭
Janislee62 13 months ago
I still watch the Waltons and am so much more amazed by the fine acting as an adult than I was as a child during their initial broadcasts.

I saw MOCKINGBIRD in '22 and '23 at Blumenthal and was blown away each time. The entire cast was superb.
11brendle 14 months ago
I like his attitude. MIght as well embrace it and go along with it.
Bapa1 14 months ago
He's coming down here to SoFL to do that play.
KJExpress 14 months ago
It seemed incredible that Richard Thomas would be 71.....until I stopped to think how old *I* am. Yikes!
LoveMETV22 KJExpress 14 months ago
I thought the same thing....then remembered when I watched the series originally that Thomas was older than me. Guess he has youth working for him. LOL
LoveMETV22 14 months ago
I wonder if other actors experience the same type of recognition for previous roles, whether on stage or a set of a TV Series or Film?
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?