Sitcom Grandpa Actor Hid His Gay Romance with This Man for Years – Ultimately, He Left Him to Become a Dad
Ellen Corby and Will Geer, stars of the beloved ’70s sitcom “The Waltons,” both concealed their true sexualities. Corby, who played Grandma Walton, was married to Frank Corby from 1934 to 1944 but had a long-term relationship with a woman, Stella Luchetta. Corby’s friend Nancy noted, “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.”
Will Geer, who portrayed Grandpa Walton, had a similar experience. Geer was in a relationship with Harry Hay, a prominent gay rights activist, before marrying actress Herta Ware in 1938 to have children. Despite their separation, Geer remained honest about his sexuality with Ware, and their marriage lasted until 1954.
Geer’s impact on “The Waltons” set was significant, with writer Earl Hamner describing him as someone who “permeated the set with his personality. With his love. With things that he did. He planted a rose garden. He planted a vegetable garden.” Geer passed away in 1978, while Corby, who remained close to her co-stars, died in 1999.
Both actors’ hidden lives remind us of the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals in Hollywood’s past.
