The Andy Griffith Show has a dedicated fan base — and some of those fans had some unusual interactions with members of the cast. For example, an actor from the show made a fan cry. Here’s what happened.
This actor from ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ reveals what she thought of it
When people think of The Andy Griffith Show, they often think of major stars like Andy Griffith himself, Don Knotts, and Ron Howard, However, lesser-known actors are also important parts of the show’s success. For example, Betty Lynn made a huge impression playing Barney Fife’s girlfriend Thelma Lou even if she didn’t become as much of a celebrity as some of her co-stars.
Lynn told what she thought of The Andy Griffith Show. “The people in that show were great actors,” she told Cleveland.com. “You looked in their eyes, and you believed them. They were wonderful to work with. That doesn’t happen all the time. The writing was great. They really knew what they were doing in those days.”
‘The Andy Griffith Show’ is ‘just a show, for gosh sakes’
As of 2019, Lynn lives in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Mount Airy was Griffith’s hometown and the meaningful inspiration for Mayberry, though Griffith was not fond of the town. “I’m still Thelma Lou to all these people,” she told Cleveland.com, looking around a Mount Airy pub called The Loaded Goat. “I never dreamed this would happen. When I first got here, I’d be in the grocery store and people would say, ‘Are you Thelma Lou?’” When she answered in the affirmative “Oh, they put their arms around me, and some of them stood and cried in front of me.”
One fan was moved to the point where Lynn was perturbed. “The other day, a man came to me crying so hard, he couldn’t straighten up,” Lynn said. “It’s just a show, for gosh sakes, but it touches their hearts. I’m amazed at how deeply they feel about the show.”
What was Betty Lynn most famous for besides playing Thelma Lou?
Lynn is perhaps most-known today for playing Thelma Lou, however, she also had a career outside of television. Her most famous film role is perhaps her role as the matriarch in the classic comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen based on the best-selling book of the same name.
Cheaper by the Dozen is the rare film from the 1950s that was well-remembered enough in the 2000s to warrant a remake, this time with Steve Martin in the starring role. Box Office Mojo reports the remake of Cheaper by the Dozen earned over $190 million and it was apparently popular enough to warrant a sequel. Whether acting in Cheaper by the Dozen or The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn knows how to create magic on the screen which connects to fans across generations.
