Leslie Winston

Leslie Winston, who is best known for her work on the long-running family drama "The Waltons," developed a love of acting from her high school drama teacher, majoring in drama in college before dropping out to pursue her acting career. She landed her first TV role in 1978 on "B.J. and the Bear," centered on the comedic misadventures of a highway trucker and his pet chimp, and the following year, she made her "Waltons" debut in the episode "The Outsider," in which the impulsive Ben Walton announces, much to his family's dismay, his surprise engagement to the beautiful Cindy (Winston). She portrayed Cindy in over 40 episodes of the gentle family drama, which was based on the book "Spencer's Mountain" about the experiences of a rural Virginia family during the Great Depression and World War II. After the show was canceled in 1981, Winston reprised her role in the TV sequels "A Wedding on Walton's Mountain" and "A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain." She later guest-starred on the prime-time medical drama "Marcus Welby, M.D." and made her last TV appearance in the 1993 made-for-TV movie "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion."