The famous Jason from “The Waltons,” Jon Walmsley is 67 and has completely changed his life—from his wife to his appearance, which is unrecognizable today.
Jon Walmsley was most famously known for playing the role of Jason Walton on the television series “The Waltons.” He started starring as John-Boy’s younger brother when the series premiered in 1972.
Walmsley met his first wife, Lisa Harrison, while he was lying in bed recovering from mono. A friend of his brought her by, and the two had a spark; he began feeling better, and two months later, Harrison moved in with him.
Before they met, Harrison had been a big fan of Walmsley’s and watched “The Waltons” all the time because she had a crush on him. The couple decided to marry after living together for three years, with Walmsley recalling:
“She made me get down on my knees.”
Ralph Waite, Walmsley’s onscreen father, served as the minister and married the couple in front of the show’s whole cast in Malibu, including Michael Learned, who played Mama Walton, who said they were a match “made in heaven.”
The actress who played Erin Walton, Mary Elizabeth McDonough, burst into tears when she saw the ring on Walmsley’s finger. They connected portraying siblings on the show. Other co-stars arrived at the wedding reception, including John Ritter, who played a minister on “The Waltons.”
Walmsley and his wife performed a song called “Cuddle Up,” which they’d written together. The musically talented actor and Harrison had formed a band and would play at clubs and in Disney World. Walmsley once confessed that if “The Waltons” ever concluded, he would work full-time on his music, his “first love.”
On August 20, 2022, the actor uploaded a black-and-white throwback photo on Facebook where he’s playing the guitar next to Ellen Corby, who played Grandmother Esther Walton in the series. The star explained how special Corby was to him.
Because he didn’t have grandparents in real life, and Corby didn’t have grandchildren, they formed a “deep bond” by adopting each other. The actor revealed that no one in his life had supported him and his music more than the actress.
In 1974, the actor fell ill and lamented not being able to visit his “adopted grandmother” in Atlanta. The following year, he was Corby’s date to the 1975 Emmy Awards when she won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In the biography, “Earl Hammer: From Walton’s Mountain to Tomorrow” Walmsley, Corby, and Hammer were photographed together during the occasion.
Walmsley welcomed a daughter named Brighton Asher, who followed in his footsteps by becoming an actress. She is famous for her roles in 2016’s “Take Me with You,” “Harvest Season,” and 2022’s “Shining Vale.”
Walmsley and Harrison stayed married for almost 30 years and divorced in 2008. However, long before their separation, Walmsley had already met someone else.
His Second Wife and the Quieter Life He Now Leads
Since October 2019, Walmsley has been living in Cornwall, Britain, after relocating from California. The actor revealed that he isn’t recognizable in his new home, where he now lives with his second wife, Marion, with whom he doesn’t have children.
Walmsley’s parents were originally from Lancashire, Britain. They relocated to California when he was two, and he fell in love with Cornwall during a visit.
Speaking about his anonymity in the quiet town, the voice of Christopher Robin for Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” said:
“I don’t really get recognized as I changed my look a few years ago and now look quite different than on ‘The Waltons.’”
Instead of being upset that people didn’t know who he was, the successful musician shared how being anonymous was an advantage for him because he was a people-watcher. He noted how people tended to act differently around celebrities.
Walmsley said he and his wife loved the coastal path, the woods, the sea, the sheep, the farms, the wild ponies, the cows, and the “good food” where they now live. He explained how they’d gone there for vacations for years, and it started feeling like home.
On his music website, Walmsley recalled how he and his wife had chosen not to go on vacation in 2018 but to move to England in the summer. By June that year, they’d already sold their car and RV and bid their friends and neighbors in Maine goodbye.
A truck carrying everything they owned drove 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!
Some of the items Walmsley took with him to England included two parakeets he inherited from his mother, who passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. The actor and Marion started a new life, bought a car, opened a bank account, and registered with the National Health Service.
The couple has since been enjoying the moors, coastal paths, historic churches, and pubs in Cornwall. According to IMDb, Walmsley retired from acting and seemed to be thriving out of the spotlight.
In a 2018 Thanksgiving post on Facebook. Marion was photographed kissing her husband on the cheek, and he confessed he was “thankful” for his wife.
A drastic change in his appearance was also evident—he was gaunter, and his full red hair was replaced by shorter grays. He was also sporting a gray beard and mustache.
This was a far cry from his images in February and June 2015, when he looked more like what his fans were used to. Being out of the limelight has been good for Walmsley, who celebrated a big milestone in 2023.
Jon’s Life with Marion at Age 67
In his October 2018 blog post, Walmsley gushed about the joy of sitting beside his beautiful wife as they embarked on their journey to their new home. While past travels hadn’t always been that peaceful, the star said he wasn’t taking the one with Marion for granted.
Quoting Bill Murray, the musician said if you want to discover if a relationship would work, you just have to travel with the person. Walmsley revealed that the actor was right as he’d “picked a peach.”
Walmsley, who credits his wife for being smarter and better-looking than him, shared how Marion was the “perfect traveling companion” and being with her was like “easing into a warm bath” when he’d reached the end of his rope.