The Waltons: Who Played John-Boy?
By Ava Barnes
Richard Thomas was already a seasoned actor when he joined "The Waltons," having amassed screen credits since the mid-1950s as a child actor. He certainly hasn't stopped in his adult years, either. In fact, you might have seen him in some pretty well-known roles without necessarily even recognizing him. Consider the 1990 ABC "It" miniseries, the one with Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown. Here, you can see Thomas play Losers' Club leader Bill Denborough as an adult — a fitting role in that both Bill and John-Boy are writers, though the characters themselves are quite different. Speaking of different, how about his turn as the decidedly unpleasant Nathan Davis in "Ozark," or perhaps his role as FBI bigshot Frank Gaad in "The Americans?"
With decades in the business and over 120 acting credits to his name, it's impossible to list all of Thomas' significant roles here. Still, a dedicated "The Waltons" fan should always be on the lookout for the hard-working actor, who can turn up on your screen when you least expect it — be it a short recurring role as Sanford Bensinger in "Billions" or a quick guest star visit in "Chicago P.D." or "Law & Order."
