He makes me laugh when I listen to him. He sounds like Bud that didn't learn a thing

It's typical of some child stars. Gary Coleman, Susan Dey, and Kim Fields come to mind as child actors who shunned their former shows to one degree or another.

It must be difficult for a child to be an actor. The profession would be a full-time job for an adult actor, but a child must also go to school, learn lines, rehearse, sit in on staff meetings, and who knows what.

Is it the show itself, or his experience working on it?

He has panned the show itself. He needs to realize that its assumptions were a reflection of its times.

You could sit there and pick apart all older shows, even Lucy.

He would like work even at his age so if he says all the right things maybe someone will hire him. That's Bud without his Dad. And you are right stevea the show reflected the times and there is no harm in that.

I agree about saying the right things. In Hollywood, you must go along with the group mentality, or suffer the consequences. You have to be very high up on the ladder to buck the crowd.

I agree about saying the right things. In Hollywood, you must go along with the group mentality, or suffer the consequences. You have to be very high up on the ladder to buck the crowd.

He must be hoping cause he hasn't been in anything the last 20+ years

He seems to have mellowed on this a bit. In May 2018 he did an interview and had some positive things to say about the show and the people he worked with.

http://boomertown.libsyn.com/father-knows-best-we-travel-back-to-1954-this-week-and-roger-chats-with-billy-gray-who-explains-the-question-mark-about-his-role-as-bud-in-that-beloved-tv-sitcom-of-the-50s-plus-two-must-see-movies-from-1954

The FKB stuff starts around minute 20:11. He lays out the genesis of the series and why the original title had a question mark. It's a good behind the scenes talk. There's also a 1988 interview with Jane Wyatt.

Two or three years ago, Billy attended a fan convention with Elinor Donahue and Lauren Chapin so I think he has at least made peace with it. I've forgotten the name of the convention, but I read that they were selling photos of all three together.

I think he should get over himself. There are so many actors who’d give their right arm to be in a successful sitcom; I have NO PATIENCE for his whining.

It became fashionable to hate on FKB so I'm guessing he bashed the show to disassociate himself from it.

Is it possible that Billy's home life was bad so he resented the good life that FKB stood for and that he never had ? I have no idea and just throwing it out there.Justified or not, his hatred of the show seems very strange.

I have no idea that Bud ever professed hatred of the show, but let's assume so, I have no doubt that he (if he did) trashed the show in order to get in good with the extremist anti-America crowd in Hollywood whose motto is "Hate America at all times and Blame America First for anything possible".

This crowd of Hollywood commies I'm sure would have thought of Bud as the son of Mr. America and a wonderful example of all that's great about America back when America was really great all thru the Reagan years until George Bush Sr. and all the rest of the establishment politicians came along up until the 2nd Greatest President (after Ronald Reagan) came along, Donald Trump.

Yes, I'm sure left wing commies of Tinsel Town thought of Bud as a prime target for today's lib blacklisting against any star who loves this country and refuses to mouthe the words of their hatred of the greatness of America.

Is it possible that Billy's home life was bad so he resented the good life that FKB stood for and that he never had ? I have no idea and just throwing it out there.Justified or not, his hatred of the show seems very strange.

Maybe so, but it definitely did become fashionable after this show aired to hate on it, and I can see someone like Billy Gray jumping on the bandwagon for this very reason. When I was growing up, FKB was the show that was singled out as the typical 1950s sitcom that "lied" to everyone about how perfect family life was. This is bizarre to me, because it was actually the opposite of that, and there were other shows that were far more guilty of what it was accused of.

I think that this backlash started with people who never actually watched it, and just used it as a convenient scapegoat for the type of "fake" 1950s shows that they hated. There was an episode of Alice where she bashed it because she said it always showed Robert Young being the "perfect father" smoking his pipe. And of course, he never, ever did that. The writer who wrote that line had never watched the show, clearly.

I have no idea that Bud ever professed hatred of the show, but let's assume so, I have no doubt that he (if he did) trashed the show in order to get in good with the extremist anti-America crowd in Hollywood whose motto is "Hate America at all times and Blame America First for anything possible".

This crowd of Hollywood commies I'm sure would have thought of Bud as the son of Mr. America and a wonderful example of all that's great about America back when America was really great all thru the Reagan years until George Bush Sr. and all the rest of the establishment politicians came along up until the 2nd Greatest President (after Ronald Reagan) came along, Donald Trump.

Yes, I'm sure left wing commies of Tinsel Town thought of Bud as a prime target for today's lib blacklisting against any star who loves this country and refuses to mouthe the words of their hatred of the greatness of America.

I agree. I think they resent what they never had and take it out on the rest of the country. Angry people are easily manipulated.

I agree. I think they resent what they never had and take it out on the rest of the country. Angry people are easily manipulated.

:ufo:

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:ufo:

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Yep, exposing the lefties like you is a very easy task.

Richard Thomas hated being JohnBoy, but now seems to be happier about it. I wonder why some hate it and some enjoy it. I don't think Mellissa Gilbert hates being Half-Pint.

Richard Thomas hated being JohnBoy, but now seems to be happier about it. I wonder why some hate it and some enjoy it. I don't think Mellissa Gilbert hates being Half-Pint.

John Boy was the only kid on the show that could remotely act. As those kids grew they progressively got worse as actors. Bud didn't hate being Bud as much as he thought the show didn't do anything for "diversity". I guess wholesome values don't count for anything in Billy's world.

John Boy likes the role now probably because no one wanted him as an actor after and he can make some $ off the Walton's these days. For me the show was Grampa, Gramma and Jim Bob. Ben was atrocious closely followed by Mary Ellen. I really enjoyed the show in it's early days. Little House was a better show

I read somewhere Bill Gray's views softened. Maybe he realized that was the way it was back then. Also he managed to stomach the idea of being in the 2 1970s reunion movies.

The sitcom world is has several actors who shun their former shows. Susan Dey and the late Gary Coleman come to mind.

Bud didn't hate being Bud as much as he thought the show didn't do anything for "diversity".

What kind of diversity did Bud think there should be? It was about a family so they were kind of stuck with that.

Poor guy, I think Billy's taken one too many roll-over spills in his car in his racing days. I'm sure Billy approved of racing in his day with all that diversity.:rolleyes:

Remember one thing, it isn't diversity that makes America great, it's FREEDOM.:wave:

What kind of diversity did Bud think there should be? It was about a family so they were kind of stuck with that.

Have to ask Bud but it is pretty obvious

I read somewhere Bill Gray's views softened. Maybe he realized that was the way it was back then. Also he managed to stomach the idea of being in the 2 1970s reunion movies.

The sitcom world is has several actors who shun their former shows. Susan Dey and the late Gary Coleman come to mind.

Susan was as cute as they come. I watched merely to see her

Richard Thomas didn’t hate playing John Boy. He hated that he was typecast and that’s why he left the show after five years. I saw an interview with him about 10 years ago where he said he wound up being typecast anyway, so he wished he had stayed through he entire run of the show.

A lot of the people you mention above hope that they’ll go on to another series and view their previous roles as an impediment to getting another show. So they shy away from discussing it. In reality, most actors don’t even get to be regulars on one successful series, let alone multiple. So these folks need to be more realistic.

Poor guy, I think Billy's taken one too many roll-over spills in his car in his racing days. I'm sure Billy approved of racing in his day with all that diversity.:rolleyes:

Remember one thing, it isn't diversity that makes America great, it's FREEDOM.:wave:

Great Reply!!

A lot of the people you mention above hope that they’ll go on to another series and view their previous roles as an impediment to getting another show. So they shy away from discussing it. In reality, most actors don’t even get to be regulars on one successful series, let alone multiple. So these folks need to be more realistic.

Susan Dey had much success after the Partridge Family. She really had no need to shun the show. But it is what it is. Now Gary Coleman, I get it.