Columbus High, UGA grad in ‘The Waltons’ movie reboot after over 100 failed auditions

She wasn’t alive when this iconic TV series was appointment-viewing across the nation in the 1970s, but Columbus High School and University of Georgia graduate Vivian Lee-Boulton still appreciates its significance.

So, this spring, after more than 100 auditions in two years failed to give her a part in a final production, Lee-Boulton was thrilled not only to hear her agent say she was selected for the cast in a television movie on The CW Network, but to play a role in a reboot of “The Waltons.” She is grateful as well.

“I’d done research on ‘The Waltons’ and seen how prolific the TV show was,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer, “and I was really excited about how family-oriented ‘The Waltons’ is and how wonderful it is to tell a story that brings a lot of people joy.”

“A Waltons Thanksgiving” premiered Nov. 20, but folks still can watch the movie for free because it’s streaming on The CW app.

Springer Theatre Academy ‘changed my life’

Lee-Boulton, 23, was 5 when she started taking acting classes at the Springer Theatre Academy in Columbus.

“It changed my life,” she said. “I was a pretty quiet kid, but I had a lot of energy. I wasn’t open with other people who weren’t in my family, and my mom thought the Springer would be good for me.”

As a 10-year-old, she played a Munchkin in the Springer’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” musical. It was her first time in a cast with professionals, and it motivated her to consider acting as a career option.

“I just really loved the rehearsal process and kind of building from a script, and putting it on its feet, and creating this world on stage,” she said. “The collaborative nature of it, I really loved how I was being treated as a professional. … It went from being a fun thing at a summer camp to being a craft that I can work on.”

Whether it was the Springer, the Family Theatre or Columbus High, Lee-Boulton continued playing roles on local stages. Although she acted in UGA Theatre productions, she understood the difficulty and long odds of becoming a full-time actor, so she graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.

“My parents made sure I was pragmatic and smart about the decisions I make,” she said.

Still, now as a client adviser at the Atlanta PR firm Jackson Spalding, Lee-Boulton puts her actor training to good use.

Life skills through stage skills

Acknowledging many more students will become adults who work in the business world instead of the entertainment industry, the Springer Theatre Academy’s motto is to teach “life skills through stage skills.”

That lesson hit home when Lee-Boulton — only two weeks into her job at Jackson Spalding — was asked to fill in for a senior member of her team who was sick the day of a presentation to a client..

“I quickly wrote up a script,” she said, “and just was able to kind of think on my feet and presented it in a way that sounded like I’d been doing it for my whole life.”

The Springer Academy Theatre directors, from the late Ron Anderson to Sally Baker and now DB Woolbright, have made it “a great place to get started and grow,” she said.

A letter from Anderson still hangs in her childhood bedroom, Lee-Boulton said, not because he congratulated her for landing a role — but because he so compassionately told her she didn’t get the part and encouraged her to continue trying.

The message: “I’d done a good job. This wasn’t the right time, but he still was proud of me.”

They call it “fail boldly” at the Springer. Lee-Boulton explained the meaning.

“Whatever you do, do it outrageously, just commit to it,” she said. “It’s OK if it ends up not turning out the way you want it to or not being in your eyes a success because at least you put your all into it.”

No regrets.

“It’s a lot easier to play it safe,” she said, “but sometimes you have to remind yourself that failing boldly is the stronger choice, and you have to take risks to have reward.”

Woolbright, who has been involved with the Springer Theatre Academy as a student, teacher or director for 27 years, told the L-E, “We are just so proud of Vivian. She represents and embodies all the philosophies and teachings of the Springer Theatre Academy. … We’re not surprised when somebody has success like Vivian has, but that’s certainly not our focus. We’re in the business of building up future community leaders, people who have strong communication skills and can work collaboratively well with people.”

Nonetheless, when Springer alumni do get roles in major productions, Woolbright noted, it shows “the degree to which we teach theater skills is excellent. We are the premier young actor training program in the Southeast, and it’s my goal to make us the premier young actor training program in the country. That’s because we bring theater educators from throughout the country and oftentimes from out of the country.”

How she got in ‘A Walton’s Thanksgiving’ cast

In April, Lee-Boulton’s agent, Alexander White, sent her the script for “A Walton’s Thanksgiving” with the chance to audition for the role of Edith, who is John-Boy’s love interest in the movie.

A few weeks after submitting her audition tape, Lee-Boulton was working in the common area at Jackson Spalding when White called. She stepped out to answer it.

“When he told me they offered me the role of Edith, I was so excited,” she said, “I feel like I blacked out for a moment.”

Lee-Boulton credits “the people in my life who continue to believe in me” for encouraging her to persevere through the audition rejections.

“I know it sounds super-cliché, but you need that kind of beating heart at the core of what you’re doing,” she said. “You have to be able to take the disappointments and keep moving. … Be grateful for the people in your life that you can learn from.”

What filming was like on ‘A Walton’s Thanksgiving’ set

Shooting the movie took 14 days in May at two locations in Georgia: Covington and Conyers. The worst part of the filming, Lee-Boulton said, was wearing itchy wool clothing for the story set in the 1930s despite the hot weather. The best part was “meeting so many incredible people,” she said.

And receiving validation that her actor training enabled her to perform well.

“I felt prepared for it,” she said. “I ended every day (on set) thinking, ‘Gosh, I wish I could do this every day for the rest of my life.”

The teamwork was invigorating.

“There really are so many people involved in the movie-making process, and everyone is excited to be at work,” she said. “There’s this energy and joy and commitment, and that collaboration is something I’ve always loved.”

‘A Walton’s Thanksgiving’ plot

Without giving away too much, the movie’s plot involves the Walton family preparing for the annual Harvest Festival when a boy’s arrival “changes their life,” Lee-Boulton said.

“It’s about being thankful for what they’ve got,” she said.

Lee-Boulton’s character, Edith, is a librarian who rides a horse to deliver books. That’s how she meets John-Boy, an avid reader and writer.

Logan Shroyer (“This is Us”) plays John-Boy. They didn’t have any love scenes together, but Lee-Boulton still enjoyed acting with the heartthrob.

“Logan and I got along very well,” she said. “We spent kind of the first few days of filming getting to know each other and getting comfortable.”

She added with a laugh, “Since it was the 1930s, there weren’t any scandalous asks of us.”

Lee-Boulton attended the movie’s screening at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta with her mother, Alice, then the TV debut with friends at a watch party.

“I really loved it,” she said. “It was so sweet. … There was the extra joy of that experience in knowing that they helped support me so much. I was finally able to give them something to watch.”

As for future roles, “I don’t have anything to share at the moment,” Lee-Boulton said, “but I’m working hard and auditioning for things.”

Woolbright has no doubt.

“You get told no a lot in this industry,” he said. “It doesn’t mean anything about your work ethic or the work you brought that day. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. … So she has a great story to tell. It certainly speaks to Vivian’s grit and tenacity. She kept trying.”

HOW TO JOIN THE SPRINGER THEATRE ACADEMY

The Springer Theatre Academy offers classes year-round for ages 2-18. The winter sessions start Jan. 16. About 650 students are expected to attend the summer program. More info is at SpringerOperaHouse.org/academy, or call 706-324-1100.