Nolan's best-known television role was as Kate, the wife of Luke McCoy (Richard Crenna), on the popular sitcom "The Real McCoys". On February 23, 1961, she was thrown from a horse and injured during the filming of an episode. She then missed four months of work and was "in and out of the hospital many times" before returning to the series to perform in the episode broadcast on June 15, 1961. Nolan left "The Real McCoys" prior to its final season (1962-1963). At the time, the series also switched networks from ABC to CBS. The time slot for "The Real McCoys" changed as well in the switch to CBS, moving from Thursday evenings to Sunday evenings opposite NBC's "Bonanza". In the revamped storyline for the series, Nolan's character was said to have died.