Where To Watch
Actor Will Geer had a lot of respect for life and nature
Despite his age, Geer was still learning everything he could about life.
As the grandfather of the Walton family, Will Geer had a lot of love to give to his seven on-screen grandchildren. He was wise, loving, and humorous with a strong, grounded personality. He also often served as the family's voice of reason.
As it turns out, the character wasn’t as outspoken as the actor. In real life, he was a proud political activist, an advocate for the environment, a strong supporter of workers’ rights, and a civil rights activist.
Much like his character on The Waltons, Geer deeply appreciated the life around him. According to a 1974 interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Geer had great respect not only for people but also for animals and plant life.
"We look at everything from people's viewpoint and judge by what is good for us, but if animals and plants died we couldn't live," Geer said. "If people died plants and animals would survive."
Geer cared about all kinds of relationships. Whether it was with his fans, nature, family, or his fictional family, he always took the time to ensure the things around him were thriving.
According to the interview, Geer often considered himself the world's "oldest hippie." With his love for nature and advocacy for both humans and animals, he made it clear that humanity was not something to take advantage of.
He said that while his age contributed to his knowledge and wisdom, which he wanted to pass down, he was still a student of life—just like the younger folks.
"When you get older and have white hair, people consider you an authority, but I don’t know everything,” Geer said. “I’m just now beginning to learn a great many things."
The Waltons did a lot for his career. He became a grandpa not only to the fictional kids but also to kids across America. The show also gave him notoriety and a platform to be more vocal about the things he believed in.
Related
7 Comments
