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Michael Learned used to have Walton-themed nightmares
After she left the show, The Waltons began appearing in her dreams.
Although Michael Learned left The Waltons as a series regular after the show's seventh season, she wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to Walton Mountain. She even feared she might no longer have a place in the family.
However, as the mom of the Walton family, audiences knew that no matter what, she would always have a place in the series and in their hearts.
In an interview with the York Sunday News, Learned discussed her departure from the show and the emotional turmoil she hadn't expected after leaving.
"I felt it was time for me to leave, but I wasn't prepared for how emotional it would be," Learned said. "I had nightmares that they were taking a Walton family photo, and they wouldn't let me be in it. I would wake up crying."
Even though Learned had so much love for her fictional family, it wasn't always smooth sailing between Learned and The Waltons, especially in the beginning. In an interview with The Morning News, Learned revealed that she initially didn't believe the show was for her.
"Funny thing — in the early stages of The Waltons, I wanted out," Learned said. "I had difficulty making the adjustment from the American Conservatory Theatre. Financially, the series was the best thing that ever happened to me. Professionally, too."
"Some persons spend their whole life in the theater and nobody ever hears of them," Learned added. "I've always said I wanted to quit and do something else, but I guess I really don't mean it. I'm still here."
Still, despite her early doubts about The Waltons, Learned eventually saw what made the show so special.
"I think there's a hunger in this country for that type of family," Learned said. "People are longing for the security where you knew your neighbors, where you didn't have to lock your doors, and where someone's word was good enough."
And even if Michael Learned feared she'd be forgotten by the Walton family, fans certainly had no intention of letting that happen.
"People still come up to me and say 'I grew up watching you. I loved you and I still do,'" Learned said. "I felt privileged that people loved the show."
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