Michael Learned will always be known for her role as Olivia Walton in the iconic family drama The Waltons, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. She was nominated for six Emmy Awards as Lead Actress in a Drama, winning three times for her role as Olivia Walton. After the seventh season, she left the show. Learned also starred as Nurse Mary Benjamin in the hospital drama Nurse, and she won yet another Emmy for this role in 1982.

Other appearances on television include Gunsmoke, St. Elsewhere, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, All My Children, Scrubs, General Hospital and The Young and the Restless. She has appeared in many stage productions on Broadway, off Broadway and elsewhere and in several television films.

Learned can be seen in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s biographical crime drama and limited series for Netflix, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, in which she portrays the serial killer’s grandmother, Catherine Dahmer. Other cast members include Evan Peters (as Jeffrey Dahmer), Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald and Niecy Nash.

In a new interview with Smashing Interviews Magazine, Learned details her role as Catherine Dahmer in the Netflix true crime drama Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story:

Smashing Interviews Magazine: What was your toughest scene in the series?

Michael Learned: Most of my scenes were with Evan. But I did play dead. I hate that. I’m too close to it now (laughs). I hate it when I have to play dead. Richard Jenkins, who plays Jeffrey’s father, and Evan were so generous and easy to be with. So we were in the moment together with whatever the scene was we were playing. It was just a real pleasure.

Smashing Interviews Magazine: Have you watched the series?

Michael Learned: No. I can’t take it. But I like watching myself because I learn a lot when I’m watching. I don’t think I did a terrible job. Sometimes, I watch and go, “Oh, my God, I should’ve been fired!” Other times, I watch and say, “That worked.” And I can detach from it and just learn.

I learned so much watching The Waltons. My youngest son and I used to watch it together. The two older boys weren’t interested. But Luke and I would have dinner, and we’d watch the show. I learned a lot.

Smashing Interviews Magazine: So you haven’t watched Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story because of the subject matter?

Michael Learned: Well, I don’t watch that kind of thing much anymore. I’d rather go back when I’m a little more separated from it maybe and watch it because I think Evan Peters is marvelous as an actor. How can you end up liking someone like Jeffrey Dahmer, and yet he managed to make him beguiling so you could understand how these kids could be seduced by him. If he’d played him like a monster, you wouldn’t have believed that these kids would be going with him. But he played him with a certain amount of charm, and you could understand how a young boy, a vulnerable kid, would be attracted to a person like that.

Smashing Interviews Magazine: I’m predicting another Emmy nod for you!

Michael Learned: From your mouth to God’s ears. Wouldn’t that be fun? (laughs)

Smashing Interviews Magazine: Speaking of Emmys, you won three for The Waltons and one for Nurse. September 14, 2022, marked the 50th anniversary of The Waltons’ first episode premiering on CBS. Any reunions coming up?

Michael Learned: Yeah. There’s going to be one at the Hollywood Museum on November 17. It’s a daytime thing. We’ll be there, and Richard will be there as well. He’s doing Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, so he’ll be in town at the Pantages. He’s wonderful in it. I got to see it in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was visiting a friend, and he happened to be on tour there. He’s always been good on stage. I can’t remember the first play I saw him in. We were doing The Waltons at the time. But it was the first time I had seen Richard on stage. I didn’t even recognize him. He was so good that I forgot it was Richard. It was about a newspaper, and I cannot think of the name of it.

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About the authors:

Marc Parker is an American journalist, author, artist, a photographer and a computer scientist. He is the founder/publisher/editor-in-chief of Smashing Interviews Magazine. Marc Parker's social media: Twitter Facebook

Melissa Benefield Parker is an American journalist and author. She is the founder/publisher of Smashing Interviews Magazine. Melissa Benefield Parker's social media: Twitter Facebook