The actress appeared on Loose Women today with her onscreen mother Olivia (played by Michael Learned) to reflect on their time on the popular family show.
Mary starred as the Waltons’ second eldest daughter who worked as a telephone operator and manufacturing supervisor.
The 55-year-old joined Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Janet Street-Porter and Stacey Solomon, and said that she looked back on her time on the show fondly.
However, she did admit that she struggled growing up on television and was often body-shamed.
When asked by Janet if they ever called her “fat”, she explained: “Yes they did. I created a body issue for myself. I went on a lot of radical diets until I grew up and learned otherwise.”
Meanwhile, Michael, 78, said that the drama “saved” her and came along at the right time as she struggled as a single parent without any money.
“I was going through a divorce from a husband I had lived half my life with,” she revealed. “I had three kids and no money. I went out to LA and stayed in a motel and stayed on my own… It saved me.”
She added that the cast of The Waltons were very close and she’d often be shocked when the children would return to set after a summer away.
“We worked for nine months and then they went home one summer and came back about three feet taller and with breasts and beards,” she recalled.
Mary added: “We don’t miss each other because we still see each other all of the time. It is nice to work together again.”
At the end of the segment, the pair agreed to recreate the classic goodnight closing sequence from the television series with the Loose Women, much to the delight of Coleen.