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Who were The Fun Girls on The Andy Griffith Show? Meet the actress behind Daphne and Skippy
Daphne and Skippy— the unforgettable “Fun Girls” from The Andy Griffith Show. Learn about their hilarious appearances and the actresses who brought them to life.
"Hello, doll!"
The Fun Girls, Daphne and Skippy, were among Mayberry's most entertaining guest stars on The Andy Griffith Show. While that small, southern locale had plenty of funny residents, some of the biggest laughs came from out-of-towners. Whether they were from the outskirts of town, like the Darlings, or all the way from England, like ol' Malcolm Merriweather, the people that came through Mayberry added to the heart and comedy of The Andy Griffith Show.
But these two flirts visiting from Mt. Pilot were also the most troubling twosome that Andy and Barney had to deal with. Sure, they weren't exactly breaking the law (at least not until their third appearance). Still, Mayberry might've been better off if Skippy and Daphne were locked up for good.
Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!
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*available in most MeTV marketsSo, what's the story of The Fun Girls, The Andy Griffith Show's wildest guest stars?
Who played the Fun Girls on The Andy Griffith Show?
From the moment Daphne and Skippy show up in Mayberry, it's clear that they wouldn't work with any other actresses performing the characters. Their specific mannerisms are so important to who they are and how Andy and Barney react to them.
The gravel-voiced Daphne was played by Jean Carson. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, it's easy to see why Carson so naturally slotted into the role of a big-city Mt. Pilot Southerner visiting sleepy little Mayberry. Some of her earliest acting work was with Charleston's Kanawha Players. From there, she was Broadway-bound, with an award-winning performance at just 25 years old in George S. Kaufman's Bravo. Other Broadway credits included roles in The Bird Cage and Anniversary Waltz.
The giggly Skippy, on the other hand, was brought to life by Joyce Jameson of Chicago, Illinois. While she may have gotten some early acting experience in the Windy City, Jameson made an early move westward and graduated from California's UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In the '50s, Jameson married Billy Barnes. You might remember him from a much-later role in Mad About You. Jameson joined her one-time husband onstage in Broadway's The Billy Barnes Revue and The Billy Barnes People.
Before they were the fun girls: A look at their previous tv and film roles
Both Jean Carson and Joyce Jameson were veterans of the screen prior to their arrival in Mayberry.
Carson has the distinct honor of having a Twilight Zone role written specifically for her by Rod Serling. You might remember her as Paula in "A Most Curious Camera". That's the one where she and Fred Clark find a camera that shows its user the very near future! She again played a character named Paula on Peter Gunn.
Meanwile, Joyce Jameson made appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Perry Mason and Gunsmoke, while landing some seriously high-profile film roles, too! Horror fiends will note that Jameson starred alongside Vincent Price and Peter Lorre in Tales of Terror and Comedy of Terrors! That's a lot of terror!
The Fun Girls come to Mayberry
Skippy and Daphne brought big trouble to Mayberry on three separate occasions. Their first episode, "Barney Mends a Broken Heart" sees Andy on the receiving end of a black eye after he's sucker punched by Daphne's one-time beau.
Next, in season 3's "The Fun Girls", Andy and Barney cancel plans with Thelma Lou and Helen, only to have their hard work at the courthouse interrupted by Daphne and Skippy. The Fun Girls put our heroes in some compromising positions, and when Helen and Thelma Lou return, they really get the wrong message. As revenge, that pair goes on a date with Gomer and Goober. Naturally, hilarity ensues.
Finally, with "The Arrest of the Fun Girls", Andy and Barney deal with the difficult blondes one last time after they're caught speeding through Mayberry. Obviously, jail is the last place they should be, as they get in Andy and Barney's hair, much to Helen and Thelma Lou's chagrin.
The Fun Girls on the Big Screen
While they never appeared together after their time on The Andy Griffith Show, Joyce Jameson and Jean Carson did have some more roles after they were banned from ever setting foot in Mayberry again (seriously, Sheriff Andy made no bones about it!).
Jean Carson's best-known movie was The Party, a comedy in which she acted alongside Peter Sellers. Her final role came in 1977's Fun With Dick and Jane.
Joyce Jameson enjoyed a few more prestigious roles, as she starred alongside Elvis Presley in Frankie and Johnny, and Bob Hope in Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!
Jameson also had roles in the Clint Eastwood movies The Outlaw Josie Wales and Every Which Way But Loose. You can also spot her in the cult classic Death Race 2000. This was all in addition to one-off shots in plenty more TV shows, like Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Munsters, Hogan's Heroes, and Ironside.
One last piece of Mayberry trivia
While Jean Carson is best remembered on The Andy Griffith Show for her time as part of "The Fun Girls", did you know she actually made one earlier appearance? In the 1962 episode "Convicts at Large", Carson starred as Naomi, along with Jane Dulo and Reta Shaw as three prisoners on the lam! This is one of a few times when a face reappears in Mayberry with a new name.
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