Richard Thomas talks 'Waltons,' career ahead of 'Mockingbird' coming to Ohio Theatre
Despite five decades of varied performances on the stage and screen, actor Richard Thomas remains best known to many for his breakthrough role on “The Waltons.”
Thomas, starring as lawyer Atticus Finch on tour in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” played budding author John-Boy Walton from 1972 to 1977 in the CBS Depression-era family drama.
Ahead of the play opening at the Ohio Theatre this weekend, Thomas spoke to The Dispatch about "The Waltons," his beginnings as a child actor, portraying good guys vs. villains, and avoiding the pitfall of pigeonholing.
More:Reimagined take on 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to open at Ohio Theatre
How does Thomas bring good men to life?
Although Thomas enjoyed making “The Waltons,” he sees his Emmy-winning role as more conflicted and nuanced than in some fans’ nostalgic memories of John-Boy’s goodness.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“The Waltons’ is the story of a young artist remembering his family. He loved his family and community, but part of him was trying to figure out how he could get out and have a life as an artist,” Thomas said.
Thomas, 71, subsequently portrayed quite a few good men — including in a previous tour, Juror Eight (the key Henry Fonda role) in “Twelve Angry Men.”
Bringing such men to life convincingly, while avoiding one-dimensional clichés, begins with good scripts, Thomas said.
“You have to have a text that allows for complexity, some sense of inwardness that gives you the opportunity to create a real person,” he said.
Coming to the stage:Blockbuster hits highlight PNC Broadway in Columbus' new season
How did his childhood shape his career?
Even as a boy, Thomas felt part of show business, often watching from offstage as his parents danced with New York City Ballet.
“I was almost born in the trunk. Theater was the world I grew up in,” he said.
At 6, Thomas made his acting debut in summer theater, then became a prolific child actor during the 1950s era of live television and plays.
After making his Broadway debut at 7 in 1958 as youngest son John Roosevelt in the inspirational Franklin Roosevelt bio-drama “Sunrise at Campobello,” Thomas tackled quite a few darker roles.
More from the stage:New Actors' Theatre of Columbus season to encourage connections with family, community
“I started playing murderous children when I was 9 on television. ... By the time I was old enough to do anything else beyond acting, I had no skills, so I stuck with it,” he said.
Why does Thomas relish villains?
Contrary to his lingering John-Boy image, Thomas subsequently has explored many dark characters.
Among the richest roles: Shakespeare’s envious Iago and murderous Richard III in regional theater; compromised FBI director Frank Gaad in the FX spy-thriller “The Americans;” and the sinister father of Laura Linney’s Wendy in the Netflix drama “Ozark.”
“Villains embody and celebrate parts of ourselves we don’t dare express, so they’re more delightful and dangerous,” Thomas said.
The actor was able to diversify his career once he left "The Waltons" after five seasons. The CBS series ran four more years.
“People ask why I left. ... I had the sense that (staying) would take that much longer to move past the show’s impact. ... There were parts I clearly wasn’t offered,” he said.
“For an imaginative industry, lots of people have a staggering lack of imagination.”
More from the theater world:CATCO theater company announces name change, eclectic new season
How did theater become his saving grace?
Frequently returning to the stage helped Thomas overcome pigeonholing.
He’s appeared in 14 Broadway plays, classic and new. Co-starring with Linney and Cynthia Nixon in the 2017 revival of “The Little Foxes,” Thomas received a Tony nomination for featured actor.
“Working in theater and classics was enormously helpful to me because it doesn’t spark the same type of stereotypes. ... You can spread your wings and do more varied repertoire,” he said.
“In this business, they figure out what tricks you do and then they want you to do those tricks,” he said. “If you want satisfaction as an actor, you have to play the long game.”
mgrossberg1@gmail.com
@mgrossberg1