'The Waltons' Homecoming': 5 things you need to know about Richard Thomas and cast
The holiday season is just around the corner and the networks have started announcing projects to make the season even better for their fans. The upcoming few weeks are going to be wholesome for people around the world, so no points for guessing that The CW is planning to bring one of the most wholesome shows back on the screen.
The Waltons are making a comeback on the screen as the network is set to come out with a reboot of the iconic series titled ‘The Waltons’ Homecoming’. The show will have a premise closer to the original 1970 series and will revolve around The Waltons living in Virginia during the 1933 Depression Era and will be told through the eyes of John Boy (Logan Shroyer), the 17-year-old eldest child of John (Ben Lawson) and Olivia Walton (Bellamy Young).
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The original series was a blockbuster hit when it came out and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1973. Will the reboot version be able to create the same magic? Let’s take a look at the actors who are going to play the iconic roles in the upcoming CW movie.
Ben Lawson as John Walton Sr
Born in Queensland, Australia, Ben Lawson began his acting career in his home country and appeared on several stage shows. In 1993, Lawson received his first-ever acting role on television with the show ‘Time Trax’. He was only 13 years of age at that time and garnered praise for his acting. Since then, he has worked on numerous projects and went on to gain a lot of recognition.
One of his first major acting roles came in the Australian series ‘Neighbours’. The 2006 series ran for 2 years and Lawson played the role of Frazer Yeats for 188 episodes. On the other hand, he had a supporting role in the 2011 hit movie ‘No String Attached’ which also starred Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis in pivotal roles.
Lawson was recently seen playing the role of Lachlan Murdoch in the 2019 movie ‘Bombshell’.
Bellamy Young as Olivia Walton
Born on February 19, 1970, Bellamy Young is one of the finest talents working in the industry right now and has been a part of various hit projects. Young began her acting career in theatre and did several stage shows before making his television debut in the 1995 series ‘Another World’. On the other hand, she made cameo appearances in shows such as ‘Law & Order’ and ‘The X-Files’ to lay a strong foundation for her acting career.
Meanwhile, in 2002, Young got a chance to work with Mel Gibson in the movie ‘We Were Soldiers’. However, her biggest acting role came in 2006 when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the blockbuster movie ‘Mission: Impossible III’. After playing a lot of supporting characters in numerous projects, Young’s moment of glory came in 2012 when she was cast as Melody “Mellie” Grant on ‘Scandal’. The actress went on to win the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for ‘Scandal’ in 2014.
Richard Thomas as Himself
Richard Thomas is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors and has given numerous stellar performances in a career that spans over six decades. He made his debut in 1959 and went on to make his feature film debut with ‘Winning’ (1969). Thomas became internationally recognized for his portrayal of John "John-Boy" Walton, Jr., in the 1970s ‘The Waltons’. Thomas won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in 1973.
Apart from that, he was also nominated for the Best Actor (Drama) accolade at the Golden Globes in 1974 and 1975.
Since then, he has been a part of projects such as ‘Fifth of July’, ‘Final Jeopardy’, ‘A Walton Wedding’, ‘The Americans’, ‘Billions’ and ‘Tell Me Your Secrets’.
Logan Shroyer as John Boy
Shroyer has been a part of the industry since 2013 and has worked on several projects. He made his acting debut in the TV movie ‘Westside’ (2013) and became a part of TV shows like ‘The Thundermans’ and ‘Speechless’. In 2016, he received his first major acting role in the award-winning series ‘This is Us’. The actor plays the role of Kevin on the show and will be seen in the show’s last season as well.
Marcelle LeBlanc as Mary Ellen Walton
The young actress from Alabama began her career in modeling and won several pageants to establish herself. In 2020, she was named Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen. On the other hand, she was named Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2022 in July 2021. As an accomplished actress, she has appeared in several major films and television productions including ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Cobra Kai’, and ‘Fear Street Part 2: 1978’.
Christian Finlayson as Jason Walton
A relatively new name in the industry, Christian Finlayson began his acting career in 2018 with the movie ‘A Dark Place’. Later that year, he starred alongside Jack Black in the movie ‘Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween’ and garnered praise for his acting. Since then, the actor has made appearances on several high-end ventures like ‘The Gifted’, ‘Brightburn’ and ‘Ozark’.
Excited about ‘The Waltons’ Homecoming’? Catch the reboot exclusively on The CW on Sunday, November 28, at 8 pm EST.