Michael Learned
PMP Network Presents
Michael Learned, a four-time Emmy Award-winning actress, joins the program. She discusses her celebrated roles, including her work on the beloved series The Waltons and the show Nurse. Learned also reflects on the lasting popularity of The Waltons.
Actress
Michael Learned
of
“The Waltons”
About Michael Learned
Michael Learned is an American actress who earned four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, tying the record with Tyne Daly. She won three Emmys for her portrayal of Olivia Walton on the CBS series The Waltons (1972–1981) and a fourth for the medical drama Nurse (1982). Her film work includes Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Power (1986), and she has made notable guest appearances on television series including Scrubs.
In this interview
- Discusses the enduring popularity of The Waltons as it approached its 40th anniversary
- Reflects on viewers still watching The Waltons in syndication decades later
- Compares rewatching The Waltons to rereading beloved childhood books
- Notes the comforting quality of revisiting familiar stories from the past
“Don't you think it's sometimes like going back and reading an old book that you loved when you were a kid?”— Michael Learned, in this interview
Since this interview
Learned starred as Catherine Dahmer in the 2022 Netflix limited series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In 2026, she appeared in the film Our Crossroads, playing the character Barbara Fraley, demonstrating her continued active career in her eighties.
