As for the main characters in TAGS, that leaves Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son, “Opie Taylor,” played by Ron Howard, pretty much on his own. But don’t worry about “Opie”. He has done well as a director and producer in Hollywood. Ronald William “Ron” Howard, 67, has a reported net worth of $ 200 million. He played “Opie” for the entire series and grew up on the series. Ron has made 27 films, including “Cocoon” and “Apollo 13”.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that cute, red-haired, freckled “Opie” could now be 67 and bald. It’s part of the magic of the film and television industry, that you see people in a movie or a television show made 50 years ago and you think they are still that age and that they still look that way. Then you read that they went to their award and see a photo of the person taken a year or two ago and it’s hard to believe they look so, well,… old.

Return to Thelma Lou. A question for trivia fans and TAGS enthusiasts: What was Thelma Lou’s last name? Was it “Lou”? Honestly, I do not know.

In case you were wondering, the characters Barney Fife and Thelma Lou got married in the 1986 reunion TV movie “Return to Mayberry”.

Actress Betty Lynn left Hollywood in 2007 and became a resident of the very real town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Andy Griffith’s true hometown, during the last years of her life. Actress Frances Bavier, “Aunt Bee,” chose to live in Siler City, Chatham County, North Carolina after retiring from a 72-year acting career.