This Man Was a Super Popular Child Star – He Quit Acting, Found Love after 50, Changed Look & Resides by Sea with Wife
This actor from “The Waltons” is now 68 and has completely changed his life—from his wife to his appearance, which is unrecognizable today.
This child star is best known for playing the role of Jason Walton on the television series “The Waltons,” since the series premiere in 1972. In 1979, while recovering from mononucleosis, he met his first wife, Lisa Harrison. Now he’s with someone else, and his life is nothing like how other child stars’ lives turned out.
A friend brought Harrison over, and their connection was instant. Just two months later, she moved in with him. It turned out she was already a huge fan due to the show. After three years of living together, they decided to tie the knot. He later playfully recalled, “She made me get down on my knees.”
Actress Lisa Harrison poses for a portrait in circa 1980 | Source: Getty Images
Their wedding was a true “Waltons” family affair. His onscreen father, Ralph Waite, officiated the ceremony in Malibu, with the entire cast present. Meanwhile, Michael Learned, who played Mama Walton,
Mary Elizabeth McDonough, his onscreen sister, was moved to tears at the sight of their wedding rings. Even John Ritter, who had a guest role on the show, joined them during the reception.
Harrison and this actor shared a love for music, even performing a song called “Cuddle Up,” which they wrote together, at the wedding. They formed a band and played gigs at clubs and Disney World. He
A black-and-white photo surfaced on Facebook in 2022, showing him playing guitar alongside Ellen Corby, who played Grandmother Esther Walton.
The actor spoke about their special bond and
In 1974, an illness prevented him from visiting Corby in Atlanta, and he deeply
A photograph of them along with Earl Hammer at this event appeared in the biography “Earl Hammer: From Walton’s Mountain to Tomorrow.”
Eventually, this former child star and Harrison welcomed a daughter, Brighton Asher, who also pursued acting. She’s known for
Despite a marriage that lasted nearly three decades, the couple
His Second Wife and the Quieter Life He Leads
Since October 2019, the actor has traded the California sunshine for a quieter life in Cornwall, Britain. He began sharing a home with his second wife, Marion, whom he met in 2004. The move felt like a homecoming of sorts, as his parents were originally from Lancashire.
The actor, Ellen Corby, and Eric Scott attend “The Waltons” Wrap Party on March 23, 1980 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California | Source: Getty Images
They relocated to California when he was just a toddler. But this former child star eventually fell for Cornwall’s charm during one of several visits.
Speaking about his anonymity in the quiet town, the voice of Christopher Robin for Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh”
Instead of being upset by this, the successful musician saw it as an advantage. As a people-watcher, he enjoyed observing others without them reacting to his celebrity.
He and Marion were
The actor appearing in the ABC tv series ‘ABC Afterschool Specials’, episode ‘Dinky Hocker’ in 1979 | Source: Getty Images
On his music website, the actor recalled how he and his wife had chosen not to go on vacation in 2018, but to
A truck carrying everything they owned was driven to Boston and then to the New York harbor where their things would be loaded onto a ship headed to Southampton, then to Cornwall. It took three months for their goods to finally get there.
The cast of the hit television series ‘The Waltons’ poses for a promotional photo, 1972 | Source: Getty Images
Among the items he brought to England were two parakeets he had inherited from his mother, who had passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. Once settled, he and Marion started a new life, bought a car, opened a bank account, and registered with the National Health Service.
They have since been enjoying the moors, historic churches, and pubs in Cornwall. According to IMDb, the actor eventually
The actor, JON WALMSLEY, appeared very different in images from his new life in Cornwall.
A 2018 Thanksgiving Facebook post offered a glimpse into this life, with Marion photographed kissing him on the cheek, and him
In other photos, he was leaner and gone was his full red hair, replaced by shorter gray locks. He was also sporting a gray beard and mustache.
This was a far cry from his appearance in
Keeping Up with His Friends
“The Waltons” might have ended years ago, but the actor is still in touch with his former castmates. In April 2019, he uploaded several Twitter images of their reunion,
While the singer didn’t mind visiting the United States for this occasion, he
His Life with Marion in the Last Few Years
Walmsley appears to enjoy all types of outdoor activities and has shared many moments of his life on social media. In August 2015, he uploaded an image of him
While he enjoys staying healthy and keeping his fans updated online, the most consistent theme in his life is his love for Marion and his posts prove it. On August 19, 2017, the musician celebrated their wedding anniversary by sharing several photos on Facebook.
In one of the images, he was seen smiling as he sat across from his wife while they held glasses ready to toast. He explained in the caption that the restaurant they were in was one of their favorites in Vermont. The singer also
Just days later, he shared an image of him kissing her on the cheek by the beach. He said his sister, Kami Cotler, asked him if the song “Love And You,” on Walmsley’s album, “Goin’ To Clarksdale,” was written about his wife.
The star explained that he’d written the track when he was a teenager in a trailer on the set of “The Waltons.” He couldn’t have written it about Marion, as they met years later. However, he
In an October
Quoting Bill Murray, the musician said if you want to discover if a relationship will work, you just have to travel with the person. Walmsley
He also
Recounting their experience traveling to Cornwall, he said Marion’s personality served them well over the next few weeks. The couple made a few stops on their way to their new home, and when they reached Strasbourg, France, they left a suitcase in their hotel room behind the bathroom door for safekeeping.
Then they went on a romantic walk and ate supper at a café on the bank of the Rhine River. The next day, the duo enjoyed some cappuccinos and pastries at a sidewalk coffee shop before moving on from the city.
They stopped by Reims and enjoyed viewing the well-known Cathedral, Notre Dame de Reims. Walmsley said his favorite part of the place was the newly added stained-glass window designed by Marc Chagall, one of his favorite artists.
Later, the star and his wife strolled through the city and had dinner at another coffee spot specializing in local cheeses and champagnes. The blog post ended with an anecdote of them watching a soccer game for the 2018 World Cup, where England beat Colombia, and seeing the crowds go wild.
His adventures continued in the following years. In 2019, Walmsley was photographed on a
In November 2020, the actor appeared to still be having a wonderful life in Cornwall, as he
But his wife was also on his forefront. On August 19, 2021, Walmsley celebrated his 13th wedding anniversary with a
In the picture, she gazes affectionately at her husband while he smiles at the camera, both shielding their eyes from the sun with sunglasses. Walmsley’s caption playfully
A year later, in August 2022, the actor described once more how
Around a month later, Walmsley shared a different kind of update. He showed how he’d integrated back into his music with a photo of himself and other band members as they
The next month, he focused on his wife again. He
In December 2022, the actor uploaded a Twitter video and image of them
In 2023, the couple celebrated 15 years together as they continued to live in the quiet, coastal town of Cornwall. Now in 2024, they’re still together and seem just as
The actor turned 68 on February 6 and although different, he looks fantastic for his age. Maybe the key to living forever is finding the right person to enjoy the journey.
