Veteran actor Richard Thomas returns to Kentucky in 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' What to know

He is an Emmy Award-winning and Tony-nominated actor who also happens to be a proud Kentucky Colonel, a bourbon lover, and for many years, traveled from his home in Manhatten to vacation in the Bluegrass State.

Ahead of Richard Thomas's long-awaited return to Kentucky this month, the Courier Journal had a chat with the veteran actor who many remember as "John-Boy" from the television drama "The Waltons."

If that was before your time, Thomas might be familiar to you as Nathan Davis, father to Laura Linney’s character on Netflix's “Ozark,” or as Linney's husband on Broadway in “The Little Foxes,” for which he received a Tony nod.

Currently, Thomas is on tour in the iconic role of Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird" and whether you are 14 or 64 years old, this American classic should ring a bell.

During his conversation with the Courier Journal, the versatile actor revealed what brought him to Paintsville, Kentucky throughout his childhood, the importance of Aaron Sorkin's stage production of Harper Lee's classic, the phrase shouted most often from the audience during the tour's curtain call and the Kentucky spirit he admires most.

Not surprisingly, "I love bourbon," Thomas told the Courier Journal. "Bourbon is Kentucky's great gift to the country."

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It's a safe bet a bottle of Thomas' favorite "wheated" bourbon will most certainly be waiting in the dressing room when “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which is part of the PNC Broadway in Louisville series, arrives at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St., for its seven performances run starting Tuesday, June 20.

Tickets are available starting at $47 per person at kentuckyperformingarts.org.

Here's what else Thomas had to say about his touring role:

What to know about 'To Kill A Mockingbird' in Louisville

Academy Award winner Sorkin’s adaptation of Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work has received rave reviews, nine Tony nominations, and set box office records since it debuted on Broadway in 2018. Thomas, who heads a cast of 24, wants the audience to understand that Sorkin’s source material was the original novel, not the 1962 film in which Gregory Peck played Atticus so memorably.

"To be entrusted with the opportunity of bringing one of our great American stories to our great American playhouses across the country is a privilege," Thomas told the Courier Journal. "The play has galvanized audiences with its timeliness and its timelessness. A true classic is able to be adapted to current times. Aaron [Sorkin] has done this beautifully and made the story fresh through issues of social justice which are top of mind for people today."

Before arriving at the Kentucky Center, Thomas recommends searching your bookshelves for that middle school-issued and dog-eared copy of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

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"I read it before I took on the part and found it a much different read than what I remembered as a child," Thomas said. "There are parts that are very meaningful and also some that are more humorous than I understood as a kid."

Sorkin's stage version is crafted as a memory play as Scout, Atticus Finch's daughter, remembers the summer her father defended a Black man falsely accused of rape in the Jim Crow South. Sorkin's play refocuses on Atticus as its driving force — the man who wrestles with questions and his own inner flaws and is challenged by Calpurnia, the Finch family cook.

Besides Thomas as Atticus Finch, you'll want to know about another famous face in the cast. Mary Badham — who, as a child actress, played Scout, Atticus’ 6-year-old daughter in the 1962 film "To Kill A Mockingbird" — is in the current touring production playing crotchety neighbor lady Mrs. DuBose.

Why did actor Richard Thomas spend so much time in Kentucky?

A child actor himself, Thomas grew up in Manhattan where his parents danced with the New York City Ballet and owned the New York City School of Ballet. But each summer, Thomas left the hustle and bustle of city life for the childhood home of his father, a farm in Paintsville where his grandparents lived.

"I spent every summer as a child with my cousins and grandparents on their farm outside of Painstville," the actor said. "Kentucky was my childhood paradise, it was my Garden of Eden as a kid. I loved it."

During the 1970s, when Thomas found himself playing a country boy living in Depression-era Virginia on the television show "The Waltons," Thomas drew from his experiences during summers on his grandparent's Kentucky farm In fact, he played the role so well, in 1973 Thomas won the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series.

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Why people still say 'Goodnight, John Boy' to Thomas

Born into a showbiz family, Thomas made his Broadway debut at age 7 in 1958 in “Sunrise at Campobello.” While his television role on "The Waltons" made him a worldwide star, the actor, now 71 years old, has kept his career interesting by fluctuating between television, film and more than a dozen Broadway plays.

"I believe the last time I was in Louisville was in 'Twelve Angry Men' at the Louisville Palace," he said. "I remember it was a beautiful and unique theater."

With so much success in so many arenas, Thomas isn't surprised there is some crossover. Mixed in with the thunderous applause during the nightly curtain call for "To Kill A Mockingbird," Thomas is nearly always reminded of his most famous role in "The Waltons" as “Goodnight, John-Boy” is called up to him from the audience.

"It's fine with me," he said. "I love it, I mean what are you going to do?"

How to get tickets for PNC Broadway in Louisville's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

The PNC Broadway in Louisville production of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," takes place at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St. from Tuesday, June 20 to Sunday, June 25. Tickets are available starting at $47 per person at kentuckyperformingarts.org.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Richard Thomas in PNC Broadway in Louisville 'To Kill a Mockingbird'