As One of TV's Most Respected Moms, Michael Learned Cebebrates the 50th Anniversary of "The Waltons"

She Has Been Cast In Lead Role of The New Ryan Murphy Netflix Series, currently under the working title of,
"MONSTER: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"

Four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned is joining Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the limited series about the serial killer co-created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan that was greenlighted by Netflix last fall. She joins a cast that is further ramping up, with Murphy regular Evan Peters now aboard as Dahmer and Richard Jenkins and Penelope Ann Miller set as his parents.

https://deadline.com/2021/03/michael-learned-monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-cast-grandmother-1234725498/

Prior to Covid, Michael Learned received Best Actress Award at SOHO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL and Best Actress at the Hollywood Womens Film Festival for SECOND ACTS.  Learned was then Honored at the Las Vegas MegaFest International Film Festival with a Lifetime Achievement Award following a screening of the film earlier this year. The Covid Pandemic caused a delay in its distribution..

Now, SECOND ACTS has confirmed an offer offer to air on Direct TV's dedicated short film channel called Shorts HD from a company called Shorts TV (https://shorts.tv/en/).  ShortsTV is the global home of short movies, with the world's largest catalogue of high quality short movies available on TV, online and in theaters, and also produce original short film content for broadcasters and brands. TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/298223202

America’s most respected TV mom, Michael Learned (THE WALTONS) looks Back on the 50th Anniversary of The Waltons, while continuing to use her craft to raise awarness, just as Olivia Walton did, with new film SECOND ACTS, directed by by Anya Adams (SCRUBS, THE WEST WING, CSI MIAMI, and BLACKISH.) and Produced by Gerry Pass (12 FEET DEEP).  In spite of prejudices impressed on them growing up, Lee (Learned) and Ben (The late John Wesley) strike up a charming love affair over the course of an evening, that was not allowed when they were in their youth, to discover love conquers all.

While waiting for a show to start at a theater, two strangers start a conversation. Both Lee and Ben are elderly and alone and are surprised to discover an easy and immediate connection to each other.  After the show, Lee and Ben decide to spontaneously continue their evening together.  As they talk into the night, the two septuagenarians open up about their pasts. They are shocked to discover how a long-ago era of racism has drastically altered the course of both of their lives but also profoundly grateful to have lived long enough to have a second chance at righting some panful wrongs.

Four time Emmy winner, People's Choice recipient and multiple Golden Globe nominee, Michael Learned's, first series regular audition was for the role of a lifetime and would define a lifetime as Olivia Walton on the hit series “The Waltons,” a role she was told would probably not continue beyond the pilot.  The cast of the Waltons recently celebrated their 45th anniversary of the hit series that ran for a decade, making Michael the quintessential TV Mom, as Olivia Walton, beating Shirley Partridge by 6 years, Carol Brady by 4 years and even Caroline Ingles by 1 year. Audiences could and still can relate to families living in the depression era. Though times were tough, much like today, Love and Sharing are abundant in this family. In addition, she became a fixture in Daytime Television for her regular roles on General Hospital, The Young & the Restless, as well as a cross over character (Hon Judge Turner) in both One Life to Live and All My Children. Currently,Michael can be seen in the recent release of the film, "Second Acts" is currently touring the film festicals in the U.S. and Internationally.

Born in Washington D.C., at the age of six, Michael’s family moved from NJ to a farm in CT. A 21-acre, glorious paradise for kids. When she was 10, she stole some money from her dad, by sneaking into her parent’s bedroom while they slept, and lifted change from his pockets, to buy candy. Her punishment was a chart her father made, upon which were listed chores that she could perform to earn the money required to pay him back. She would get a quarter of a penny per egg she collected, as well as a penny or two for feeding and watering the chickens. She milked three goats, carried pig slops up to the barn, morning and night, cleaned out stalls, and eventually paid her father back . . . with money to spare. She has never stolen so much as matchbook from a hotel since that time. However, the experience would prove to be the perfect training for the role that would

As the oldest of six girls, she was eleven when they moved to Austria, where her father worked for the OSS (later known as the CIA), to live in a tiny village called St. Gilgen. Their home was located on a lake surrounded by mountains, where they wore dirndls, went to the local school, learned to speak German, and basically lived on the first set of SOUND OF MUSIC. Life in the village even included puppet shows and singing harmony with friends while making daisy chains. She loved it.

On stage, she has starred in "Steel Magnolias", performed in the national tour of "On Golden Pond" and in Lewis Black's "One Slight Hitch." Other theatre credits include "Elizabeth the Queen" at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Edward Albee's "All Over" at the Gramercy and McCarter Theatres. She starred in the West Coast premieres of "Woman in Mind" and "Hapgood," both for the American Conservatory Theatre Co, for whom she was the leading lady for three years. Her Broadway appearances include Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" and Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosenweig" and the Broadway production of "The Out Going Tide,"  followed by the successful production of "The Outgoing Tide" in New York and a tour with "Driving Miss Daisy.” Michael also recently appeared in the critically acclaimed digital dramedy entitled Life Interrupted.

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The cast of the Waltons recently celebrated their 40th anniversary of the hit series that ran for a decade, making Michael the quintessential TV Mom, as Olivia Walton, beating Shirley Partridge by 6 years, Carol Brady by 4 years and even Caroline Ingles by 1 year. Audiences could and still can relate to families living in the depression era. Though times were tough, much like today, Love and Sharing are abundant in this family. As a result of the show, which she had been told wouldnt survive its first season, Michael Learned has gone on to become a four-time Emmy award-winning actress (three for "The Waltons" and one for "Nurse").  She has received a People's Choice Award and has been a three-time Golden Globe nominee. On stage, she starred in "Steel Magnolias" at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, in the national tour of "On Golden Pond" and in Lewis Black's "One Slight Hitch." Other theatre credits include "Elizabeth the Queen" at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Edward Albee's "All Over" at the Gramercy and McCarter Theatres. She starred in the West Coast premieres of "Woman in Mind" and "Hapgood," both for the American Conservatory Theatre Co, for whom she was the leading lady for three years. Her Broadway appearances include Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" and Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosenweig" and recently completed a Broadway production of "The Out Going Tide." Michael recently completed production of "The Outgoing Tide" in New York and a tour with "Driving Miss Dazy.” A detailed bio is available below.

Official Website (direct all fan / autograph requests here)

OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

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For interviews, press, high res photos and updated biography please send an email to harlan@bhbpr.com or call 626.296.3757