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Betty Lynn appeared in a total of 26 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. She reprised her role in the 1986 made-for-TV movie, Return to Mayberry. Her role as Barney Fife’s girlfriend, Thelma Lou, would define her career. As it turned out, it influenced her retirement years, too. Lynn was so taken with Mount Airy, North Carolina, the town that inspired Mayberry, that she opted to move to the area in retirement. 

Betty Lynn was an actual resident of Mount Airy, NC 

Betty Lynn was so attached to her role of Thelma Lou that she showed up in Mount Airy every year for Mayberry Days, a festival honoring The Andy Griffith Show. Lynn was a true professional during her appearances. She showed up, spoke with fans, and then returned home to California. Something was special about Mount Airy to Lynn, though. So special that she moved to stay close to the magic.

Eventually, visiting Mount Airy once a year was not enough. In 2007, she decided to move to the town. According to North Carolina Rabbit Hole, she decided to get a fresh start in the quiet, quaint village that inspired the show that made her famous after her home in California was robbed. She wasn’t entirely sold on the idea at first. Lynn moved to the town as a renter, then eventually set down roots. She was a resident of Mount Airy when she died in 2021.  

Betty Lynn had no ties to the area before ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ 

It might seem strange for an actor to move to a town simply because of a role they played in a television show once upon a time. Lynn’s decision to move cross country is even more unique when you factor in the size of Mount Airy and Lynn’s lack of connection to the area. 

Don Knotts as Barney Fife, Betty Lynn as Thelma Lou in 'Return to Mayberry'
Don Knotts and Betty Lynn | Frank Carrroll/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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Lynn was not born in North Carolina, nor was she raised there. In fact, she knew almost nothing about the state when she was cast as Thelma Lou. Her lack of knowledge about North Carolina was a point that, according to North Carolina Rabbit Hole, annoyed Andy Griffith. Lynn was born and raised in Missouri. She joined the USO as a teen and appeared in several Broadway productions before settling in California. She bought a home, began acting, and moved her mother and grandparents to the West Coast so she could care for them. 

While Lynn called California home for over half a century, Mount Airy spoke to the iconic actor. The town is a small one, with just over 10,000 residents. Still, it charmed Lynn, and it’s understandable why. Mount Airy remains a simple, comfortable, and quaint place to call home. Clearly, living in the town made Lynn feel closer to her beloved character, who she once said she never wanted to leave. 

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