Kami Cotler AKA Elizabeth in ‘The Waltons’ Has a Totally Different Career & Is a Mom of 2 Kids

Kami Cotler, best known as Elizabeth on "The Waltons," changed her career after some time as an actor. She has been notably successful in her new field, and away from the professional realm, she is a doting mom of two kids.

"The Waltons" star Kami Cotler decided she wasn't interested in being a regular on the screen when she made a career change. However, the superstar mother excelled in her new field and created a balance between work and family.

While on "The Waltons," Cotler was a fan favorite. And, years after the CBS family drama ended, the little girl who starred as Elizabeth Walton has proven that she is still a family person with a series of posts on social media.

COTLER'S LIFE DURING AND AFTER "THE WALTONS"

Cotler, who is now 56, got into showbiz as a child star. Her character Elizabeth was the youngest child of John and Olivia's seven children. The hit CBS series displayed the life of the Waltons family, who endured the depressing and challenging time of World War II.

Cotler started acting on the 1972's drama at a very young age, and fans watched her grow into her teenage years. She appeared as the outspoken Elizabeth on "The Waltons," "A Decade Of The Waltons," "A Day For Thanks On Walton's Mountain," and "Mother's Day and A Wedding on Walton's Mountain," and so on.

Although she remained a fan favorite, her appearance on TV significantly reduced while she was a student at the University of California. She graduated with a degree in social sciences and soon after began to teach.

During her early years as a teacher, she found herself in a small Virginia school in the Blue Ridge Mountains, similar to the one her character Elizabeth attended in "The Waltons."

She later moved to California in 2001, where she taught at Environmental Charter High School. In 2004, Cotler was a co-director of the Ocean Charter School, a position held until 2007.

After many years as a teacher, she founded the Environmental Charter Middle School, an educational institute in southern Los Angeles County, California. She later married Kim Howard and welcomed two children, Callan Freya and Cotton Howard.

More interestingly, Cotler, born in the '60s in Long Beach, California, has a friendly personality. A series of updates on the star's social media pages show the warm relationship Cotler shares with her family and colleagues.

RELATIONSHIP WITH "THE WALTONS" CAST MEMBERS

Cotler and other cast members on the hit CBS series maintained a close relationship after so many years. In a post on Facebook, the movie star who is also an educator noted:

"I think child actors have a bond regardless, as we have shared a fairly unusual experience."

She wrote about the time they spent together and how her colleagues on "The Waltons" feel like a real family. She also noted that they were some of the first people she wanted to see after they lifted COVID-19 restrictions.

On an old friend of Cotler, Ernie Dale's official Facebook account, there was a photo featuring a younger Cotler, fellow cast member Mary McDonough, and Dale.

The post came with a caption about their time at the Walton's Mountain Museum for "The Waltons" reunion taken in 1999.

Marie Babcock Duenas also posted photos of cast members during a reunion on Facebook. Eric Scott, McDonough, Cotler, and others could be seen having a fun time at a bit of get-together party, and they all looked like one loving family.

However, Cotler, who sees her co-workers as family, had an actual relative on the show, her younger brother Jeff. Cotler introduced her little brother to the show, and he went on to play a small part.

COTLER'S BROTHER, JEFF

Cotler once wrote about her brother Jeff's experiences on the show and how their mother felt about seeing them act on the same program in a post on social media. According to Cotler, their mom didn't want Jeff getting jealous of the attention drawn to his big sister.

The older woman believed that with Cotler's influence in playing a role as significant as one of Walton's kids, she could help introduce her brother to the show, which she eventually did.

And, although Jeff wasn't eager to be a part of the series, he starred in the episode "The Graduation." After several persuasion, Cotler praised her brother for his excellent acting and noted that he did "a very fine job."

The little boy who initially didn't want to act went on to star in five more episodes, including a reappearance as an English orphan named Pip Wrayburn in episodes "The Children's Carol" and "The Milestone."

COTLER'S FAMILY

Over the years, Cotler has made sure to build a beautiful relationship with her kids, Callan and Cotton, and the star has stopped at nothing to show off their bond. Like their mother, the kids are also well acquainted with some of "The Waltons" co-stars.

One of Cotler's Facebook posts shows an image of David William Harper and her son Cotton posing at what seems to be a car park. The picture's caption read:

"Finally, I am posting our photos from the parade. Here are my son, Cotton, and my faux brother, David."

A different Facebook update also features an image of Cotton and his sister, who inherited their mother's beauty. According to Cotler's caption, the photo was taken during a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The kids posed for the picture in an area close to Solvang near a huge waterfall.

Callan is her mom's carbon copy, and she loves dressing up in different costumes based on the pictures posted on Catler's Facebook page.

The proud mother once shared an image of Callan rocking a gigantic Egyptian helmet. Cotler told her fans that she and her daughter found the costume at the LA Opera costume sales and decided to pick it up.

Also, during a costume competition, Catler extended her gratitude to all friends and followers who voted for her daughter. She uploaded a photo of Callan holding her mermaid costume.

Apart from her kids, Catler sometimes shares images of her husband on her social media page. She is a family-oriented person, and even her "The Waltons" family can testify to this.