Michael Learned, a four-time Best Actress Emmy Award winner, was born on April 9, 1939, in Washington, D.C. As the oldest of six daughters to a U.S. State Department employee, she grew up on her family's farm in Connecticut.
The family relocated to Austria when Michael was just 11 years old, and it was during her time at boarding school in England that she developed a passion for the theater and decided to pursue a career in acting.
At the age of 17, Michael married Peter Donat, the nephew of Oscar-winning actor Robert Donat, and the couple went on to have three sons together. Their marriage lasted for 17 years, during which time Michael honed her craft by acting in Shakespeare Festivals in both Canada and the United States, all while raising her family.
Michael and her husband Peter also acted together with the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco in the early 1970s. Her breakthrough role came when she was cast as Olivia Walton in the television series "The Waltons" (1972),which was produced by Lee Rich.
Michael won three Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Olivia Walton, and later received another Emmy Award for her role in the television series "Nurse" (1981). She successfully avoided typecasting as Olivia Walton by appearing in numerous television shows and movies, including top-drawer made-for-TV specials such as the 1986 adaptation of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" (1987),starring alongside James Whitmore.
Michael reprised her iconic role as Olivia Walton in a 1995 TV-movie reunion, cementing her status as a talented and versatile actress.
