Career

Lynn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and began acting in radio. She was later discovered in a Broadway production by Darryl F. Zanuck and signed to 20th Century Fox. Lynn made her film debut in the 1948 film Sitting Pretty opposite Robert Young. That same year, she appeared in June Bride with Bette Davis followed by roles in Mother Is a Freshman (1949), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), and Payment on Demand (1951).

In the 1953-1954 television season, Lynn was cast as June Wallace, the fictitious sister-in-law of the Ray Bolger character in the ABC sitcom Where's Raymond? Allyn Joslyn played her husband, Jonathan Wallace. Lynn and Joslyn left the series in its second season when it was renamed The Ray Bolger Show.

After guest starring on various television series including Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The Gale Storm Show, Sugarfoot, and Markham, Lynn won the role of Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show. She portrayed the role regularly from 1961 until 1965, then made a final guest appearance in one episode during the sixth season (1965-1966).

Following the end of The Andy Griffith Show, Lynn continued appearing in various television and film roles. In 1986, she reprised the role of Thelma Lou in the reunion television movie Return to Mayberry in which Thelma Lou and Barney Fife were finally married. In 2006, Lynn retired from acting and relocated to Mount Airy, North Carolina, the hometown of Andy Griffith and the town on which Mayberry is believed to have been based despite Griffith's repeated denials.

Betty Lynn has never married, although she has said she was once engaged. She makes monthly appearances at the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy to sign autographs and meet with her fans.

Honors

In 2007, Lynn was inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame, located in Marshfield, Missouri, and is still "The Cats".

Selected filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1948	Apartment for Peggy	Wife	Credited as Betty Ann Lynn
	June Bride	Babara Brinker
1949	Father Was a Fullback	Constance "Connie" Cooper
	Mother is a Freshmen	Daughter
1956	Meet Me in Las Vegas	Young Bride	Alternative title: Viva Las Vegas!
1959	Louisiana Hussy	Lili Guillot

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	M Squad	Susan Baines	Episode: "The Trap"
1958	Lawman	Edna Phillips	Episode: "The Oath"
1958	Wagon Train	Molly Richardson	Episode: "The Dick Richardson Story"
1958	Bronco	Molly Bailey	Episode: "Baron of Broken Lace"
1959	Tales of Wells Fargo	Mary Francis	Episode: "The Bounty Hunter"
1959	Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer	Mona	Episode: "Pen Pals"
1959	Sugarfoot	Sarah Sears	Episode "The Royal Raiders"
1959	Sugarfoot	Alice Fenton	Episode "The Twister"
1960-1966	The Andy Griffith Show	Thelma Lou	26 episodes
1960	National Velvet	Barbara Howard	Episode: "Mi's Girl"
1963	The Farmer's Daughter	Sylvia	Episode: "The Speechmaker: Part 2"
1965	The Smothers Brothers Show	Vera	Episode: "Here Comes the Bridegroom"
1967-1970	My Three Sons	Janet/Janice; Lois	7 episodes
1966-1968	Family Affair	Miss Lee	4 episodes
1969	The Mod Squad	Mrs. Hill	Episode: "The Healer"
1974	Little House on the Prairie	Bridget	Episode: "If I Should Wake Before I Die"
1978	Barnaby Jones	Mrs. Russell	Episode: "Blind Jeopardy"
1986	Matlock	Sarah	4 episodes

[ Source: Wikipedia ]