Joe Conley Biography

Fast Facts

• His maternal grandfather was a traveling medicine man known as "Snake Oil" Johnny McMahon
• Due to complications resulting from dementia, he passed away in 2013 at a California care facility
• Quote: "You don't create a role; the script creates a role․ You just interpret it as best you can․"
• Quote: "(On his role as Ike Godsey in "The Waltons") "As far as regretting it, no, I don't․ It was the crowning point of my career․ I had many, many marvelous scripts․""
• Quote: "(On the atmosphere on the set of "The Waltons") "They were all nice people․ I got along with all of them․ I never had a fight․""
• Gained his greatest fame playing storekeeper Ike Godsey on "The Waltons․"
• Taking only occasional roles aside from reprising his "Waltons" character, Ike, since the series was cancelled in 1981, his last credited film roles were in 2000's "Cast Away" and 2001's "Blind Obsession․"
• At his high school in Buffalo, N․Y․, his nickname was "Hollywood Joe․"
• Started his acting career after returning from military service in the Korean War, for which he received the Silver Star
• When he received an offer for an interview for "The Waltons," he initially turned it down because he had built a successful real estate business in Los Angeles with three offices