To many audiences, The Waltons wasn’t just a show; it was an experience. People like John-Boy, Olivia, and Grandma were more than just characters; they were family.

In fact, even the cast of The Waltons felt a certain kinship with the characters they played on screen. In his book, Goodnight John-Boy, series creator Earl Hamner Jr. explained that one man, Will Geer, embodied the character of Zebulon Walton.

“Will enjoyed the role because he was just being himself,” wrote Hamner Jr. “He loved Virginia, and he loved Virginians.”

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Early reviews of The Waltons criticized the series for being too sappy. However, Geer saw the critique as a compliment. “One of the television reviews once called The Waltons ‘corny,’” wrote Hamner. “Will remembered the review because he treasured it.”

Later, when Hamner Jr. was being honored for his work in television, Geer took a trip to visit his collaborator and friend.

“In the midst of the ceremony, there was a commotion at the edge of the football stadium. It turned out to be Will Geer arriving. He had been appearing in a play down in Alabama, and he and a troupe of actors had driven all night to be with me that morning. From some farmer’s field down the road, he had stolen a bushel of corn, to make the point, as Will said when he presented it to be, that ‘the country is still under more corn than concrete.’”

Geer didn’t see any issue with the sentimentality of the series; rather, he understood that the exposed nerve of emotion throughout The Waltons was what made the series special.

“Will didn’t play Grandpa,” wrote Hamner. “He was Grandpa!”