Happy birthday wishes go out to Judy Norton, aka Mary Ellen Walton, who turns 51 years old today. Mary Norton was born in Santa Monica, Ca. Mary is married to writer/producer Randy Apostle and has a son named Devin.

Mary Norton started her acting career as "Mary Ellen Walton" on the series "The Walton's". She was in 209 episodes from 1972 thru 1981. During the series her character was married, had a son, lost her husband, and remarried.

I real life she married during the series and became known as Judy Norton-Taylor. After the series she couldn't get work because she was type-cast as a "goodie-two-shoes" so she posed nude for the August 1989 issue of "Playboy" magazine .

Today Judy and her husband run a chain of dinner theatres called "Celebrations and Jubilations" in Canada. Judy also continues to act and direct.