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Richard Thomas wasn't looking to ''bury'' John-Boy
"I love that show and that portrayal. I mean it."
There are two things you can do as an actor if audiences have identified you as a singular character: You can either run from it or embrace it.
Both of these methods have varying results. An actor's attempt to run from a role that made them famous might appear like a rejection, and therefore disrespectful. But by embracing their claim to fame, an actor might jeopardize many future roles, forcing themselves into the deep confines of typecasting.
Richard Thomas was one of the few child actors who grew out of his character without denouncing it. Many remember Thomas as John-Boy Walton of The Waltons, but he also enjoyed an incredibly successful career on the screen and the stage. So how did he manage it?
Thomas spoke about his career during an interview with the Chicago Tribune and maintained that he still adored The Waltons and John-Boy. He wasn't interested in divorcing himself from the character.
"In a way, I don't ever want to bury the John-Boy image," he said. "I love that show and that portrayal. I mean it." Still, Thomas was aware that the best things are enjoyed in moderation, and he still had the ability to pursue other acting roles. "You have to balance something like that by doing other things, and it can take years and years to wipe away an image built up by six years of television," he said. "To some people, I'll always be that character. But, why let it kill you?"
Thomas's easygoing attitude about his association with John-Boy may just be the secret to his success, but it wasn't difficult for an actor to be identified with a character as well-loved as John-Boy. Thomas himself loved his series and called it a "quality show" during an interview with The Buffalo News. "I feel that alienation has been stressed long enough in our society," he said. "And The Waltons is a show which is concerned with what we need right now - a sense of unity and interdependence."
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