A man who was in a secret relationship with a famous ’70s sitcom actor | Source: YouTube/harryhay1975
A famous late sitcom actor who played a grandpa in a beloved ’70s classic hid his romance with another man for years. He went on to end this relationship to pursue becoming a father. His late co-star, who starred opposite him in the same show as a grandmother, also hid her sexuality.
The man in the cover image used to be in a relationship with a late sitcom star who captivated audiences with his role as a beloved grandfather on a famous ’70s sitcom. He starred alongside a late actress who played his on-screen partner in the beloved series “The Waltons.” Their acting skills were so impressive that even when both actors experienced health issues, they were never recast.
A famous actress starring as Mary Ellen Fenway in a CBS television film suspense series “The Whistler,” during an episode aired on February 3, 1955. | Source: Getty Images
While their careers never suffered any setbacks as a result of their health ailments, the actor and actress concealed the fact that they were gay in real life and were involved in homosexual relationships. People believed the pair put up a façade with their marriages to safeguard their careers. Here are the details about their hidden relationships.
Esther ‘Grandma’ Walton AKA Ellen Corby’s Marriage & Long-Term Relationship with a Woman
One of “The Waltons” stars who concealed the fact that she was gay was none other than Ellen Corby, who played Esther “Grandma” Walton on the show. Corby was married to a man named Frank Corby from 1934 to 1944. She was born in June 1911 in Racine, Wisconsin, but grew up in Philadelphia.
Ellen Corby at the 10th Annual Golden Boot Awards in Century City, California on August 15, 1992 | Source: Getty Images
Her mother died on September 9, 1963, at age 76. The loss of Corby’s mom left a significant void. Of her parent’s passing, she once expressed , “A great deal of me disappeared with her. She was a large part of my life, much more than my husband ever was.”
Ellen Corby in a scene from “The Waltons” on June 9, 1978. | Source: Getty Images
When it comes to another facet of her personal life—her sexuality, a former WHPL librarian named Nancy revealed that loyal viewers of “The Waltons” would have been shocked had Corby and her co-star’s sexuality been made known.
Ellen Corby at an event on November 29, 1981. | Source: Getty Images
She said , “A loyal viewership of that heart-warming TV series ‘The Waltons’ would have had a collective seizure had it been widely known that Grandpa and Grandma Walton were queer in real-life.”
Ellen Corby starring alongside her co-star Richard Thomas in a scene from “The Waltons” on June 3, 1976. | Source: Getty Images
Nancy went on to divulge , “Corby had a relationship of several decades with her female companion. The women donated their large play collection to the West Hollywood library.”
Corby last appeared as Grandma Walton in the 1997 TV movie, “A Walton Easter.” By the late 1990s, the screenwriter was a partial invalid and spent much of her time in the Los Angeles home she had shared since 1976 with a dear friend of 45 years, Stella Luchetta.
Ellen Corby in an episode of “The Waltons” in Los Angeles, California on June 16, 1978 | Source: Getty Images
The pair occasionally watched “The Waltons” reruns. By the time Corby was 87, she spent her last days in a nursing home and sadly died on April 14, 1999. After she passed away, they announced that she was survived by her “friend” Luchetta.
Ellen Corby posing for a headshot in 1975. | Source: Getty Images
Corby’s career spanned nearly 60 years, and her memorable role as Grandma Walton earned her three Emmy Awards . However, having had a stroke in the late 1970s, her participation in the TV show Short, which ran from 1972 to 1981, was cut.
Ellen Corby’s Relationship with Her Co-stars & Her On-Screen Role of Grandma
The Wisconsin native became a surrogate grandmother to seven child actors on “The Waltons.” In an interview with The New York Times in 1973, Corby stated , “These children on the show are like my own grandkids, and I am the grandma around here.”
Ellen Corby with her fellow “The Waltons” co-stars posing for a group picture on January 1, 1977. | Source: Getty Images
In real life, Corby never had grandchildren because she never had children of her own. However, playing a grandmother allowed her to fulfill that role. As put by the actress, “This show is what I’ve ALWAYS wanted.”
Ellen Corby as Esther Walton and Jon Walmsley as Jason Walton in “The Waltons,” in Los Angeles, California on January 1, 1977 | Source: Getty Images
Interestingly, Corby once feared that she might not get the role. Adding further insult to injury, along the way, her health prompted a significant setback, and it created more worry for Corby, who believed it would be the end of her stint.
Ellen Corby holding her Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama in Hollywood, California on May 20, 1973 | Source: Getty Images
“I got sick and wound up in the hospital in surgery. I was afraid the producers wouldn’t want me back. After all, I had caused them a great inconvenience, delayed production, and didn’t seem very healthy,” Corby revealed .
Thankfully, that was not the case for the Golden Globe award winner and Academy Award nominee as the cast of the series was said to be close-knit.
Jon Walmsley, Ellen Corby and Eric Scott attending “The Waltons” Wrap Party at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California on March 23, 1980 | Source: Getty Images
Zebulon Walton AKA Will Geer’s Gay Life, Activism, and Marriage
With an experience similar to Corby, late actor Will Geer, who played Zebulon Walton on the show was the partner of the man from the cover photo who also kept his sexuality and gay relationship hidden from the public.
Geer, who was blacklisted during anti-communist witch hunts, had a male partner named Harry Hay, a gay rights activist, but their relationship later ended.
Ellen Corby and Will Geer in an episode from “The Waltons” called “Grandma Comes Home” in 1978. | Source: Getty Images
Kenneth James Stump, an associate producer of “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times,” revealed Geer left Hay because he wanted children with a straight partner.
Geer later wed late actress and activist Herta Ware, with whom he shared three children, Ellen, Kate, and Thad Geer. The actor chose to tie the knot in 1938 after being both a party activist and actively gay for at least four years.
Herta Ware at the 14th Annual Cable ACE Awards at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California on January 17, 1993 | Source: Getty Images
However, it remains unclear whether his marriage to Ware signaled an end to his same-sex sexual activity or if the musician married because he believed the Communist Party strictly prohibited homosexuals from joining.
Will Geer at a party, benefitting the National Committee of Arts for the Handicapped in New York City on April 3, 1979 | Source: Getty Images
What is a fact is that Geer was honest about his sexuality with his wife, whom he eventually divorced in 1954 after sixteen years of marriage. Sadly, he tragically died on April 22, 1974.
Will Geer as Zebulon Walton in the TV series “The Waltons” during an episode titled “Spring Fever,” aired on November 15, 1977. | Source: Getty Images
Unfortunately, drama unfolded at Geer’s funeral. Hay, who felt defeated after losing him to Ware years before, exclaimed to Ware, “I had him first.” To which she responded , “I had him longest.”
Will Geer at a tribute to movie director Clarence Brown in July 1977. | Source: Getty Images
Geer and Hay started dating during the early 1930s when they worked together. They attended the Communist Party and even became members. Hay was the founder of gay liberation and created the first modern gay rights organization in 1950.
Harry Hay in a video, posted on April 14, 2013. | Source: YouTube/Harry Hay
At first, no one wanted to join him in forming a political organization for homosexuals. He spent two years searching among the gay men he knew in Los Angeles. Although some expressed interest in the group, they were too fearful of joining an organization with only one member.
However, that did not deter Hay from forming an underground Mattachine Society , which ended up having 5,000 members on board.
Will Geer Was like a Real Grandpa on ‘The Waltons’ Set
Diving deeper into Geer’s impact on “The Waltons,” Hay’s ex-boyfriend was a lot like a real grandfather on set. His colleague, writer Earl Hamner, spoke highly of him in this regard, noting, “He permeated the set with his personality. With his love. With things that he did. He planted a rose garden. He planted a vegetable garden. How many people do that on a movie set?”
Will Geer with his fellow co-stars David Harper and Kami Cotler in a scene from “The Waltons” on January 13, 1978. | Source: Getty Images
Hamner also said Geer was “a big, mischievous, fun-loving guy” who “didn’t portray Grandpa. He was Grandpa.” Meanwhile, Geer’s co-star Michael Learned likened the Indiana native to Johnny Appleseed, saying , “Wherever he went, he planted a garden.”
Another co-star, Richard Thomas, echoed a feeling of much admiration for Geer’s “larger-than-life personality” in a past interview he did.
Will Geer in a scene from “The Waltons” circa 1974. | Source: Getty Images
The series creator also recalled how people from his Virginia hometown would come to set to take a tour and see behind the scenes. Will Geer was the one who would always make them feel welcome.
