Merie Earle

Merie Earle was an American actress who took up professional work late in life and became best known as Maude Gormley on The Waltons, a part she played from 1972 to 1979. An agent discovered her while she was appearing in a play, and her earliest jobs included ads for Polaroid. Her first feature film came in 1967 with Fitzwilly, opposite Dick Van Dyke. Other screen credits were Gaily, Gaily (1969), In Name Only, Dr. Max (1974), Crazy Mama (1975), Fatso (1980) and Going Ape (1981). On television she was a regular on The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour in 1972 and appeared in the 1978 television movie The Last of the Good Guys. She guest starred on many series, including Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, All in the Family, Alice and Whiz Kids, and in her eighties was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.