‘The Waltons’ star Michael Learned explains why she never crossed the line with her TV husband

Michael Learned volition ever person a large emotion for Ralph Waite.

The actress, who starred as Olivia Walton successful "The Waltons," precocious attended The Hollywood Show, wherever she opened up astir however she kept her narration with her on-screen hubby platonic contempt their chemistry.

"We had a spat astir thing wholly insignificant, and I was truthful upset that I had to sound connected his trailer doorway with tears streaming down my face," Learned told Fox News Digital successful a connection astir a representation of the precocious histrion that has stayed with her.

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Michael Learned and Ralph Waite "loved" each other, but they chose relationship implicit romance. ((c) Lorimar/ Everett Collection)

"I said, 'We person to marque up, oregon I can't bash the country with you,’" she recalled. "He held retired his arms and gave maine a large hug. That was Ralph Waite."

At the instrumentality event, Learned revealed that portion they some loved each other, "we didn’t slumber unneurotic successful existent life."

"I conscionable loved him, and helium loved me," she said, arsenic quoted by People magazine.

Michael Learned (center) with the formed of "The Waltons" astatine The Hollywood Show 2025. (POSE Photo Ops )

"That was precise real, and we were besides precise wise," the 86-year-old shared. "We knew that that could conscionable spell downhill. So, arsenic overmuch arsenic we loved each other, we were conscionable precise respectful of the amusement and who we were and who our characters were. So, we conscionable remained dear, beloved friends."

"The Waltons" tells the communicative of a household surviving successful the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia during the Great Depression. It ran for 8 seasons betwixt 1972 and 1981. According to the outlet, the occurrence of the bid resulted successful six TV movies, which wrapped up successful 1997.

Waite, who played patriarch John "Pa" Walton Sr., died successful 2014 astatine property 85. The outlet shared that helium past reunited with the formed a twelvemonth earlier helium died, for an interrogation with Entertainment Weekly.

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Michael Learned and Ralph Waite are seen present attending the signing of Mary McDonough's publication connected April 16, 2011, successful West Hollywood, California. Waite died successful 2014. (Brian Putnam/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Learned antecedently admitted that her on-screen chemistry with Waite was the existent deal. However, they ne'er pursued a romance.

"I loved him precise much," she explained to Fox News Digital successful 2022. "And we loved each different arsenic overmuch arsenic anybody could emotion anybody. We ne'er slept together. But our emotion was truthful heavy and spiritual. And you know, Ralph would enactment maine successful my spot erstwhile helium thought I was being an a-----e. He didn’t marque immoderate bones astir telling maine to signifier up. And it was the aforesaid with me."

"We were genuinely family, with each the ups and downs that travel with it, but determination was nary anterior baggage," Learned added.

WATCH: MICHAEL LEARNED SAYS ‘THE WALTONS’ SAVED HER LIFE, CALLS FILM ‘SECOND ACTS’ A GIFT

The U.K.’s DailyMail archetypal reported successful 2019 that Learned and Waite "were successful love" off-screen. At the time, a spokesperson for the histrion confirmed to Fox News Digital that, adjacent though the 2 stars were attracted to each other, they ne'er escalated the narration retired of interest that it would get "messy."

Michael Learned starred arsenic matriarch Olivia Walton. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

"We had a heavy emotion for each different that we would person ruined if we had taken that other step, and we didn’t," Learned told the outlet. "We ne'er did. We thought astir it, but we didn’t. And I deliberation that’s wherefore we became a spiritual hubby and wife, if you will, and I miss him terribly. His woman is simply a precise bully friend. But what Ralph and I had was thing that came crossed connected screen."

The costars were tempted to research their feelings further, she said.

"He was my spiritual husband," said Michael Learned astatine the clip of Ralph Waite's death. "We loved each different for implicit forty years. He died a moving histrion astatine the apical of his game. He was a loving mentor to galore and a relation exemplary to an full generation." (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

"We thought astir it. We did," Learned told the outlet. "There was a play wherever Ralph and I were some single, and we did emotion each other, truthful we made a date, and it was going to happen, and we got together, and we looked astatine each different and went, ‘Nah, this volition ne'er work.’

"Thankfully, we had the bully consciousness to not instrumentality the adjacent step, due to the fact that I deliberation it would person gotten messy. It mightiness person gotten messy, but our emotion was precise heavy and true."

"The astute happening was we were astute capable not to transportation it to the adjacent step, due to the fact that I deliberation it could person truly turned bad," Learned stressed. "I’m not sure, maybe, but our emotion was precise heavy and precise special, and I miss him terribly."

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"The Waltons," which aired connected CBS from 1972 to 1981, starred Ralph Waite arsenic John Walton, and Richard Thomas played his oldest son, John-Boy, an aspiring novelist. The gentle household play was acceptable successful the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. (CBS via Getty Images)

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The formed has remained close implicit the years. Learned described them arsenic "my 2nd family."

"We spent much clip unneurotic shooting the amusement than we did with our ain families," she told Fox News Digital successful 2022.

"So, of course, we became close. I emotion them. And it makes america consciousness bully that the amusement continues to deed home. So galore radical came up to me, adjacent today, and said, ‘Watching ‘The Waltons’ was the lone clip I felt harmless for an hour.’ Others archer maine it reminds them of their childhoods erstwhile beingness was sweeter and much innocent. We’re arrogant of our work."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.