What are your thoughts on this actress?

never heard of her

never heard of her

She was the original actress who played Nancy on the Spelling-Goldberg drama Family during the first season, before being replaced by Meredith Baxter in the following season.

She was in a movie I have on a homemade DVD....

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjQ1MzJmZDktYzdmZS00MDk3LTljOGYtOWFiOTZiNDVkNDcxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzMwOTY2NTI@._V1_.jpg

She was in a movie I have on a homemade DVD....

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjQ1MzJmZDktYzdmZS00MDk3LTljOGYtOWFiOTZiNDVkNDcxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzMwOTY2NTI@._V1_.jpg

I've seen it. Her role is pretty small in it, but in the mid '80s her acting work was more and more limited, probably because she was more committed to stage work and playwriting.

Never heard of her either.

I had never heard of this actress either until seeing this thread now. And I have heard about Family (not seen it though), but didn't know Meredith Baxter didn't become the Family star until season 2.

I just looked up the episode guide, season 1 of Family with this actress was barely there at just six episodes.

I just looked up the episode guide, season 1 of Family with this actress was barely there at just six episodes.

She appeared in only four, but was credited in all six.

Kyle, found this this old thread that might interest you.....

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=198992

She was really good in the Walton's episode The Job. She plays the blind girl John Boy gets a job reading to.

She was really good in the Walton's episode The Job. She plays the blind girl John Boy gets a job reading to.

Oh that was her? I remember her from Family, but didn't realize she played that blind girl from The Waltons ! She was good in that role! ;)

Oh that was her? I remember her from Family, but didn't realize she played that blind girl from The Waltons ! She was good in that role! ;)

Nobody could sob and have a meltdown as good as her. ;)

Nobody could sob and have a meltdown as good as her. ;)

Yeah, she's a good actress !! ;)

Yeah, she's a good actress !! ;)

But some people said she was unattractive and couldn't act at all, especially her brief stint on Family. What were they smoking?

Oh that was her? I remember her from Family, but didn't realize she played that blind girl from The Waltons ! She was good in that role! ;)

That Waltons ep is the only thing I remember her from, I haven't seen Family in decades.

I've been fascinated with the works of actress Elayne Heilveil, who is most famously known as the original Nancy Lawrence from the 1970s drama series Family. She appeared in the original spring 1976 mini-series, but was replaced that fall by Meredith Baxter. Elayne seemed to have some pretty interesting credentials. She was a graduate from the New York School of Performing Arts and studied writing at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she was subsequently cast in the NET Playhouse special Stopped Running in 1970 and shortly after Daryl Duke's Payday. She also had an impressive roster of TV appearances in the '70s and '80s on The Waltons, The Rockford Files (2 episodes as different characters), The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hawaii Five-O, Hill Street Blues, and T.J. Hooker. She later had local success as a playwright in the Los Angeles area. Just wish she did more acting work. What are your thoughts on this actress?

Not sure but I think I saw this actress on the Waltons within the last few days. A dark haired gal who played a blind girl that John Boy read books to. Never saw that much of Family and when I did saw the show with Meredith. I assume Nancy was always a blond but was she?

Not sure but I think I saw this actress on the Waltons within the last few days. A dark haired gal who played a blind girl that John Boy read books to. Never saw that much of Family and when I did saw the show with Meredith. I assume Nancy was always a blond but was she?

Yep, that was her on The Waltons episode you mentioned, the title is 'The Job'

Not sure but I think I saw this actress on the Waltons within the last few days. A dark haired gal who played a blind girl that John Boy read books to. Never saw that much of Family and when I did saw the show with Meredith. I assume Nancy was always a blond but was she?

Yep. She was pretty good at having full-blown meltdowns, especially on the pilot episode of Family after she catches her husband in bed with another girl.

Actress Elayne Heilveil recently relocated back to the east coast, actually, the Massachusetts area of Cape Cod. Maybe it was time for her to retire from writing plays as she has been doing so for 30+ years or maybe she wanted to move closer to her family and friends.