A former child star from the beloved television series The Waltons, who left acting to pursue a career in education, was recently spotted making a rare public appearance in Los Angeles. The actress, now 60 years old, portrayed the youngest member of the Walton family in the show, which chronicled the lives of the eponymous clan during the Great Depression and World War II.
From Hollywood to the Classroom
The original series aired from 1972 to 1981, but the adventures of the Walton family continued through various television movies. The actress eventually put her acting career behind her and now makes a difference in the lives of others as a former school principal, teacher, and founder of a charter school. Last Friday, she was seen running errands in the City of Angels, dressed in a playful T-shirt, blue jacket, and black trousers.
If you guessed Kami Cotler, you were correct. Cotler played Elizabeth Walton on the series for nine years, a role she landed after first starring in the television movie The Homecoming: A Christmas Story. Her introduction to acting came after a photographer suggested she could pursue commercial work.
Early Beginnings
"It all started for me when I went to get some photos taken for my grandmother. I was really small for my age and I never stopped talking, and the photographer told my mother that he thought I could do commercial work," Cotler told Cinephiled. "According to my mom, I kept harassing her about it until she finally sent the photos we took that day to the agent the photographer had recommended. My mom figured I'd do it for a couple of weeks until I got bored."
Cotler began auditioning for roles before she landed the audition that led her to The Waltons film, The Homecoming. "They were using the same casting director from my Gunsmoke audition so they called me because they were looking for redheads. My family was excited when I got that movie but they treated it like a once-in-a-lifetime event," she recalled. "Everyone was working so they had to figure out who would watch me on which day. We shot some of the movie at CBS in Studio City but the outdoor locations were all in Jackson Hole, Wyoming."
Fond Memories of the Set
Memories of her time on set have stayed with Cotler, who looks back on her time on the show with fondness. "Early on, David and I would play together all the time. We'd go down to the Western street on the lot and rob banks and raid saloons, we had a great time!" she told Cinephiled. "And then when he got too old to play with me, I just followed Mary around because I thought she was the coolest teenager I'd ever met. I worshipped her and followed her wherever she went."
While Cotler did have a role in a 2018 TV movie, her acting career essentially ended with The Waltons. "I went out on a couple of auditions. I remember walking into the waiting room as an adult and having everyone look at me with a certain level of hostility. I never experienced that as a kid. I was like, 'Relax, ladies, I don't really care! My life does not ride on this audition!'" she said.
A New Path in Education
Eventually, Cotler underwent a major career pivot from Hollywood to education. Her journey in education saw her grow from a history teacher to principal of a charter middle school. She first started teaching at Environmental High School in 2002 before founding a K-8 charter school in Los Angeles. Cotler eventually became principal of Environmental Charter Middle School.
"My involvement with ECS began in 2002, when I taught history at Environmental Charter High School," she told NBC News in 2012. "At that time, my son was in kindergarten at a high performing LAUSD district school and succeeding academically, but coming home with stomach aches before recess every day. As a result, I became more involved in the charter school movement, helping open Ocean Charter School, a K-8, arts-integrated charter on Los Angeles' west side. After 3 years as a co-director of OCS, I returned to Environmental to help write their charter petition for a new middle school, where I am now principal."
She is no longer the principal but still works at the school. "I was the founding principal for four years and now I have a four-day-of-week position there. We have three schools now, it's great," she told Cinephile.
About The Waltons
The Waltons was originally based on a book entitled Spencer's Mountain, written by Earl Hamner, who also created and developed the drama series. The fictional Walton Mountain setting of the show was based on a real community in Virginia named Schuyler, where Hamner spent his childhood. The series follows the lives of the eponymous family as they attempt to carve out a living through the years of the Great Depression and World War II. Each episode featured a narration from the older version of the character John-Boy; Hamner provided the voice for the character, who was partially based on him as well.
The series, which ran from 1972 until 1981, received positive reviews during its time on the air and was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series a year after its debut. Numerous guest stars appeared on the program during its run, including Sissy Spacek, Ron Howard, and Merle Haggard. Three separate reunion movies were produced after the show's cancellation, which all aired in 1982.
