Mary Jackson, a talented character actress, is renowned for her recurring role as Miss Emily Baldwin, one of the eccentric bootlegging sisters, on the beloved television series The Waltons, which aired for nine seasons. Born on November 22, 1910, in rural Milford, Michigan, she earned a bachelor's degree from West Michigan University in 1932. Prior to pursuing a career in theater, she taught school for a year during the Great Depression. She then returned to college, this time at Michigan State University, to study fine arts.
Jackson began her stage career in Chicago, performing in summer stock and later transitioning to larger stages in New York and Los Angeles. Although she initially struggled to find significant film and television roles, she eventually landed guest appearances on popular shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, My Three Sons, Hazel, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barnaby Jones, and Highway to Heaven. She typically portrayed ladylike small-town citizens, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Jackson started to gather character bits, including her roles as nuns in the epic film Airport (1970) and the horror movie Audrey Rose (1977). She also appeared in various pleasant, maternal parts, such as Lynn Carlin's mother in the western Wild Rovers (1971) and Jane Fonda's mother in the comedy caper Fun with Dick and Jane (1977). Jackson supported Fonda again in the drama Coming Home (1978),and her notable roles included Big Top Pee-wee (1988) and Leap of Faith (1992),starring Steve Martin.
The Waltons' success was marked by the character actresses who played the Baldwin sisters. Initially, Dorothy Stickney played the role of Emily, with Josephine Hutchinson as older sister Mamie, in the TV pilot. When the series premiered, Mary Jackson and Helen Kleeb took over the spinster roles, periodically reprising their sister act in several Walton reunion TV-movies, including weddings and holiday gatherings. Both actresses made their final TV appearances in A Walton Easter (1997). Kleeb passed away in 2003 at the age of 96, and Jackson followed two years later at the age of 95 due to complications from Parkinson's disease.
