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Jon Walmsley didn't miss having a ''regular'' childhood when he was on The Waltons
"I wanted to do what I did very much and it was important to me."
Raising children of any age is difficult, but raising a child actor is incredibly daunting. Kids are already restless, imagine giving those kids the wealth and fame that a typical television star receives.
Moreover, we all get nostalgic sometimes for adolescence, but child actors miss out on what we consider a "normal" childhood. As adults, do they mourn the children they were never allowed to be?
In many situations, this might be true. But for Jon Walmsley, no tears were shed over choosing work instead of frivolous fun.
Walmsley began his acting career at an early age, starring in The Waltons as Jason Walton.
During an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, Walmsley explained that his acting career wasn't fueled by a desire for wealth or the result of an overbearing parent's influence; he became an actor because he genuinely enjoyed it.
"I really didn't miss a regular childhood," said Walmsley. "I wanted to do what I did very much and it was important to me. At the time it was what I really wanted to do."
Of course, Walmsley was a special case, and he knew it. He maintained that child actors were able to have relatively happy lives, but they needed the support to keep them grounded.
"I had really good parents who kept me down to earth, but many kids have been spoiled by success," said the actor. There are a lot of actors today who have been spoiled this way because as a child they'd rather be playing with their friends than working but were pushed into it."
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