Remember Judy Norton? We watched her grow up on The Waltons as Mary Ellen as we became a close part of the Walton family ourselves
The TV series, which ran for nine years from 1972 to 1981, garnered a dedicated fan base and holds a special place in their hearts.
Even though four decades have passed since the airing of its last episode on June 4, 1981, the show and its beloved family remain ingrained in the collective memory.
Judy Norton Taylor starred as Mary Ellen Walton in The Waltons, an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia (Credit: CBS)
Let’s check in and see how the childhood actress has been and what she’s doing now.
After The Waltons & Her Playboy Debut
Many actors and actresses who start in childhood can get labeled to play a particular type of character early on.
So, when the show ended, Norton wanted to continue acting and expand her role and image beyond Mary Ellen Walton.
To break free from the frustration and limits of being typecast, she decided to make a then-controversial appearance in Playboy magazine.
The Waltons star Judy Norton posed nude in Playboy magazine in 1985 (Credit: Playboy)
Even though she was 27 years old, many were shocked and upset to discover the nude pictures, as she was still a child in their eyes. The Waltons started filming when she was about 13 years old.
“I was getting a lot of advice from people who were representing me at the time,” Norton said in an interview with Fox News.
“They felt it would be a good, positive career move. I wouldn’t say that was the case and it’s one of those things that if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have made the choice.
At the time, she didn’t see the debut as a big deal –– it was simply a career move. Now, she’s said she regrets the decision now but accepts what happened. It has taught her a lot in her public journey and career moving forward.
Where is Judy Norton Now?
After The Waltons, she was drawn back to her roots in theater. However, she did star in several TV series and movies, including…
The Love Boat (1982)
Circus of the Stars (1983-1984)
Stargate SG-1 (1998)
Cold Squad (1999)
Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft (2013)
The Sparrows: Nesting (2016)
Finding Harmony (2017)
Judy Norton’s 4 Husbands and 2 Children
Judy Norton has been married four times and is the mother of two children.
She embarked on her journey of love and marriage at a young age, tying the knot with Douglas Taylor when she was 18. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1978, leading her to a new chapter in her life.
In 1980, she entered into matrimony with Lynn Hughes, a football player. Regrettably, their marriage proved to be short-lived and ended in 1982.
Nevertheless, Judy persevered in pursuing lasting love, finding it temporarily in the arms of Randy Apostle, whom she married in 1991. They were married from 1991 to 2001 and have one son, Devin Aric Apostle, born in 1992.
Judy Norton at the premiere of The Sparrows: Nesting held at Raleigh Studios Hollywood on April 20, 2015 (Credit: Guillermo Proano / WENN)
After getting divorced, she found and married her partner, Robert Graves. They are still happily married and have been together for nearly 20 years. They had a son, Cameron, in 2008.
Introduced by her stepmother to the Church of Scientology at 13, Judy later became a minister in the cult and is still an active member.
Judy Norton: A Life in Film and Television
From managing theaters in Canada to playing various important roles in film and production, Norton’s net worth is currently estimated at $4 million.
She’s been able to act, sing, write, and direct in both films and plays, especially throughout Canada.
Judy Norton attends the International Family Film Festival opening night at Raleigh Studios on October 20, 2016, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: WENN)
You can find her on her YouTube channel and Instagram page, where she actively posts and creates videos to answer fans’ questions about her golden days on the screen as the beloved Mary Ellen Walton.
Judy Norton shares fascinating anecdotes about her time on The Waltons on her YouTube channel, including encounters with fellow actors from other Warner Brothers productions.
During the show’s run, she and her castmates occasionally crossed paths with actors from popular TV shows and films produced by Warner Brothers.
Judy mentioned instances where she saw the cast of The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, immersing herself in the bustling atmosphere of the studio. She even had a star-struck moment when she spotted Sally Field but was too overwhelmed to initiate a conversation with her.