Judy Norton, the actress who captivated 1970s audiences with her beauty and grace, made a rare public appearance in Los Angeles over the weekend—leaving fans stunned by how much the 67-year-old star had changed since her TV days.
Norton became a household name as part of The Waltons cast, a series that ran from 1972 to 1981 and followed a tight-knit family living through the Great Depression and World War I.
Her image took a dramatic turn in the 1980s when she posed without clothes for Playboy magazine—an attempt to capitalize on her s*x appeal and distance herself from her family-friendly image.
Judy Norton, the actress behind The Waltons’ Mary Ellen Walton, surprised by fans with her current appearance
Image credits: CBS
Wearing a sleeveless, floral-patterned dress paired with open-toed wedge heels and a mini tan bag, Norton cut an elegant figure as she stepped out into the summer sun. She completed the look with dark sunglasses, a cream-colored cardigan in hand, and a necklace with a large pendant.
Many fans took the sighting as an opportunity to reminisce about her stunning looks during the height of The Waltons.
Image credits: CBS
“She was THE TV crush of the ’70s,” one user commented. “Mary Ellen was smart, strong, and gorgeous—everything a girl wanted to be.”
Others, more enthusiastic in their response, took the chance to revisit her infamous Playboy photoshoot for, as one reader said, “research purposes.”
“She had more bush than Alan Titchmarsh’s garden!” one user joked. “That was how it was before the trend to shave,” another replied.
Image credits: The Image Direct
However, not everyone focused on nostalgia. A wave of more critical commenters lamented what the passage of time does to even the most familiar faces.
“Aging is cruel,” one user wrote. “She was a bombshell- Now I wouldn’t even have known it was her.”
Image credits: officialjudynorton
Others pushed back against the “insensitive comments,” praising the actress for aging gracefully and embracing a natural look. “She looks real. That’s more than I can say for most women her age in the industry,” a fan argued.
“You all s*ck. She’s 67. What is she supposed to look like? You’ll be her age one day if you’re lucky enough.”
While her 1985 adult photoshoot cemented her place as a symbol of beauty in that era, it would ultimately be a decision she would regret
Image credits: CBS
Like many child actors before and after her time the, at the time, mid-20s star was trying to break free from the wholesome image of Mary Ellen Walton, the headstrong tomboy she portrayed throughout the beloved series’ nine-year run.
Image credits: Playboy
“I was getting a lot of advice from people who were representing me at the time,” she said in a 2018 interview. “They felt it would be a good, positive career move. I wouldn’t say that was the case.”
Image credits: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
“It’s one of those things that if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have made the choice,” she admitted.
“I learned a lot of lessons from it, in terms of trusting my own instincts and decisions more than other people’s, even though it seemed like they knew more than me.”
Image credits: officialjudynorton
Instead of signaling her transformation into a mature, serious actress, the photos only added noise to an already complicated post-fame journey.
Instead of opening new doors, the actress said the shoot made things more difficult for her by turning her into a tabloid fixture.
“It is what it is,” she said. “You can only go forward.”
Norton’s post-fame career was defined by guest appearances in game shows and The Waltons holiday specials
Image credits: officialjudynorton
After The Waltons wrapped up, Norton briefly stepped into the broader television landscape, appearing on several celebrity-driven game shows and landing a one-episode role on the romantic comedy The Love Boat in 1982.
That small guest spot would mark her last acting project unrelated to The Waltons for over a decade.
Image credits: Judy Norton
Throughout the late ’80s and into the ’90s, Norton was limited to reprising her role as Mary Ellen Walton in a string of holiday and reunion specials, while continuing to appear on game shows as herself.
With limited television roles and typecasting still being a hurdle, she returned to her theater roots—writing, directing, and performing in musicals and plays across North America.
Image credits: officialjudynorton
The 2000s followed a similar rhythm, with occasional one-episode TV appearances, but it wasn’t until 2013 that Norton experienced a small but steady career resurgence. She began landing roles in independent films and TV movies, gradually building a post-Waltons resume that included near-yearly acting credits up until 2022.
“Still beautiful.” Netizens took to social media to comment on the photo.
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