Betty Lynn is most famous for playing The Andy Griffith Show's Thelma Lou. Of course, fans will remember that Thelma Lou was the long-time on-again/off-again beau sweetheart of Deputy Barney Fife. Betty Lynn was so well-remembered for her role, that in the final years of her life, she migrated from Los Angeles out to Mount Airy, North Carolina, the real-life inspiration for the fictional Mayberry.

While living in North Carolina, Betty Lynn, like clockwork, appeared at the town's Andy Griffith Museum on the third Friday of each month. She made the trip just to spend time with fans who shared with her their memories and love of the show.

See More

Betty Lynn was told Thelma Lou was replaceable

One memory that Betty Lynn shared with CNN was a revealing little piece of gossip she divulged after Andy Griffith's death. In a 2012 interview, Lynn did her best to memorialize her late co-star. As the nation mourned a beloved television icon, Betty Lynn mourned the death of a friend, as she and Griffith had years of cherished time spent making viewers laugh.

Apparently, at least to her, Andy Griffith was exactly the kind of person we wanted him to be.

"Yeah, I really loved Andy. I really did," the actress said. Despite the occasion, Betty Lynn laughed frequently during the interview. It's telling that rather than tears of grief, Griffith's passing left his friend with a few chuckles.

"I had a little crush on him when I first got on the show," she revealed. Betty Lynn wasn't alone. Both Andy Griffith and Don Knotts were known for having a number of admirers on the set of The Andy Griffith Show.

"But, he was married. So I got over that pretty quickly," said Betty Lynn.

"Anyway, he couldn't have been sweeter to me."

No wonder Barney was always the jealous type.

Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

 Add to Favorites  Remind Me