What happened to John Curtis on 'The Waltons'? Learn about the character

Many millennials might not be aware that The Waltons was one of the most popular American drama series in the 70s. Helmed by Earl Hamner, the show was based on the 1961 book Spencer's Mountain. It had an extremely successful run for nine seasons, and along the course of time, fans of the show developed a deep connection with the characters. However, even though the show ended in 1981, it is still unclear what happened to John Curtis on The Waltons.

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What happened to John Curtis on The Waltons?

John Curtis on The Waltons was the first child of Mary-Ellen & Curtis Willard and was born in 1937. He first appeared in the episode The Grandchild. He was the grandson of John Walton and Olivia Walton. In spite of the fact that the character was introduced in later seasons of the show, his storyline was left underdeveloped by the creators. Although the show ended in 1981 and had many subsequent reunion special films, what happened to John Curtis on The Waltons still remains a mystery.

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Lately, fans of The Waltons discussion forum have been talking much about the character and his unsaid story. A fan posted on the website that he was bothered by the fact, that the show's creators hadn’t even mentioned John in the reunion films. The fan further stated that John Curtis would have been 25 years old in the 1963 storyline of the show. He would have been graduated from college. 

Source: Waltons (Webpage discussion forum)

Source: Waltons (Webpage discussion forum)

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Another fan continued this discussion and stated that John Curtis was most probably living out of town. Hence, he could not be home for the Thanksgiving get together. The fan said that if the writers had chosen to develop the story, John Curtis Willard would probably be married by now. The anonymous fan further stated that the fact the showrunners did not even mention many characters in the reunion film, hinted towards budgetary limitations. 

Who played John Curtis?

According to a report on Distractify, the character of John Curtis Willard was portrayed by twins Michael and Marshall Reed. They played the character from Season 6 to 9. In the first three movie specials of The Waltons, David Friedman played John Curtis.

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The Waltons: About the iconic show

The Waltons is a heartwarming series about a family in rural Virginia, who is trying to survive during the Great Depression and World War II. The main story is set in Walton's Mountain, a fictional mountain-area community in fictitious Jefferson County, Virginia. The time period covered in the series spans from 1933 to 1946, during the Great Depression and World War II. During this time the US presidential administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman were in office.