Betty Lynn who played Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show has died at 95
- Actress died in Mount Airy, North Carolina on Saturday at the age of 95
- She had lived at a retirement home in the area, which was Andy Griffith's birthplace and the location of the Andy Griffith Museum
- Her character was the girlfriend of Barney Fife played by the late Don Knotts
- A private service will be held in Culver City, California
Actress Betty Lynn, best known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show, died in Mount Airy, North Carolina on Saturday at the age of 95.
Lynn, whose character was the girlfriend of the Barney Fife character by the late Don Knotts, had passed away following a brief illness, the Andy Griffith Museum said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She had lived at a retirement home in the area, which was Andy Griffith's birthplace and the location of the museum.
The latest: Actress Betty Lynn, best known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show, died on Saturday at the age of 95. She was snapped in 2012 following the death of Griffith
From 1961 to 1966, Lynn had been in 26 episodes of the famed show.
She was written out of the show when Knotts left the series with an eye on film, as her character had gone to work as a police officer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
She was back in The Andy Griffith Show fold for the 1986 TV film Return to Mayberry, in which her character wed Barney Fife's.
Lynn worked again with Griffith on his 1986 show Matlock on NBC for four episodes, playing his secretary Sarah.
From 1961 to 1966, Lynn had been in 26 episodes of the famed show. She was pictured with Gail Davis, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts in an episode
Prior to her run on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on Broadway and in a number of motion pictures
In addition to her work on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on TV shows including Family Affair, The Magical World of Disney, My Three Sons and Mod Squad
The actress was born in Kansas City, Missouri August 29, 1926, and began singing at the age of five with the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, according to THR.
She was a singer for the USO after she turned 18, where she performed internationally for the troops.
Prior to her run on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on Broadway and in a number of motion pictures. Among them include 1948's June Bride and Sitting Pretty; the 1950 film Cheaper by the Dozen and 1956's Meet Me In Las Vegas.
In addition to her work on The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn had also appeared on TV shows including Family Affair, The Magical World of Disney, My Three Sons and Mod Squad.
She retired and relocated to Mount Airy, North Carolina in 2006.
Throwback: The actress was seen at Ascot Racecourse in 1949
She past told THR that her work on TV had caused issues with her film career.
'The studios hated television. When they asked me what I had been doing, I said, "I’ve been doing live television, it’s absolutely wonderful, it’s like doing a play!"' she said, according to the outlet. 'They’d all just freeze. I didn’t understand that they were having great difficulty because people were staying home instead of going to the movies. I was making a complete fool of myself.'
A private service will be held in Culver City, California, according to the museum, with a memorial service set for announcement in the future.
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