Mary Elizabeth McDonough (born May 4, 1961), sometimes credited as Mary Beth McDonough, is an American actress and writer, best known for her role as Erin Walton on ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...

'' from 1972 to 1981.

Early life

McDonough was born May 4, 1961 in the

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...

section of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, the third of four children to Lawrence and Elizabeth (née Murray) McDonough. Her father was an

Irish American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

ex-

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

from Nebraska, while her mother was from

La Junta, Colorado La Junta is a home rule municipality in , the county seat of, and the most populous municipality of Otero County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,322 at the 2020 United States Census. La Junta is located on the Arkansas Ri ...

. McDonough was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, in what she described as a working-class family. She and her siblings were raised in Northridge, and attended Our Lady of Lourdes School in Los Angeles. McDonough was an active theater student, and became interested in acting in elementary school.

Career

McDonough began her career as a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

, portraying Erin Walton in the series ''

'' beginning in 1972, a role which she would portray until the series' finale in 1981. She made her feature film debut with a minor part in the action film ''

Lovely But Deadly ''Lovely But Deadly'' is a 1981 action film about a cheerleader who goes undercover to fight drug dealers. The film stars Lucinda Dooling, John Randolph, Mel Novak and Richard Herd. Directed by David Sheldon with a story by Lawrence D. Foldes, ...

'' (1981) before co-starring with

Melissa Sue Anderson Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress after appearing in several commercials in Los Angeles. Anderson is known for her role as Mary Ingalls in the NBC drama series ...

in the television horror film ''Midnight Offerings'' (1981). McDonough was subsequently cast in a lead role in the slasher film ''

Mortuary A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cus ...

'' (1983), opposite

Lynda Day George Lynda Louise Day George (born December 11, 1944) is an American television and film actress whose career spanned three decades from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was a cast member on '' Mission: Impossible'' (1971–1973). She was also the wife ...

and

Bill Paxton William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), '' Apollo 13 ...

. She later reprised her role of Erin Walton in the ''Waltons'' television reunion films ''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'', ''Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain'', and ''A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain'' (all released in 1982). In 1987, she had a lead role in the dark comedy '' Funland'', about an unhinged amusement park operator. In the 1990s, McDonough appeared as Erin Walton in a further three ''Waltons'' films: ''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (1993), ''A Walton Wedding'' (1995), and ''A Walton Easter'' (1997). In the 2000s, she returned to television acting, guest-starring on ''

Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...

'' and ''

The New Adventures of Old Christine ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' (often shortened to simply ''Old Christine'') is an American sitcom television series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell, a divorced mother doing her best to keep pace with those around her ...

'' (2006–2009). McDonough was a radio guest and has been on international and syndicated shows such as ''Get Focused Radio'' with Kate Hennessy. She can be seen on the internet in the show ''McDougall M.D.'' as part of the broadcasts on the TBN network. In 2018, McDonough's book ''Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane'' was adapted into the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...

film of the same name starring

Alicia Witt Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress, singer and pianist. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in '' Dune'' (1984) and ''Twin Peaks'' (1990). Witt had a critic ...

and

Colin Ferguson Colin Ferguson (born July 22, 1972) is a Canadian-American actor, director and producer.
Yahoo! Mov ...

. McDonough appeared in the film in a minor supporting role.

Personal life

McDonough suffers from

lupus erythematosus Lupus erythematosus is a collection of autoimmune diseases in which the human immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy tissues. Symptoms of these diseases can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blo ...

, which she claimed on her In the Know

plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...

awareness website stemmed from leaking

silicone A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...

from her

breast implants A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenital ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Other work

References

Sources

External links

McDonough's official site

The Mary McDonough Fan Club
(bilingual) * {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonough, Mary Elizabeth 1961 births Living people Actresses from Los Angeles American child actresses American film actresses American people of Irish descent American television actresses Catholics from California People with lupus People from Van Nuys, Los Angeles Writers from Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses The Waltons