It may surprise you to find out which citizens of Mayberry found love on the first try and who didn’t

Over the past 60+ years, The Andy Griffith Show has enthralled audiences with its depiction of a simpler time that has turned the concept of small-town life, even after all of these years, into something audiences feel they can still reach out and touch. Mayberry itself remains such an idyllic community serving as the home for such beloved characters as Sheriff Andy Taylor, his boy Opie, Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife, Floyd the Barber, Otis the Drunk and, of course, Gomer Pyle.

At the same time, the actors who brought those Mayberry citizens to life led their own lives, all of them complex and varied, including real-life romances. And while Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Hal Smith, Elinor Donahue, Howard McNear, Jim Nabors and George Lindsey shared a warm camaraderie on set, their real-life connections didn’t always wrap up with neat little bows, instead were made up by the highs and lows of life that affect us all, from long-lasting partnerships to bittersweet separations.

Join us as we look at the real-life relationships of The Andy Griffith Show cast, those eight actors married or in long-term relationships a cumulative total of 15 times.

The real-life romances of Andy Griffith: three marriages and a love story for the ages

Andy Griffith and Barbara Bray Edwards

Andy Griffith (Sheriff Andy Taylor) was married three times, the first to actress and singer Barbara Bray Edwards. The duo met while they were studying music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill back in the early 1940s. She was an aspiring opera singer who sang soprano, while he was focused on both drama and music. They married on August 22, 1949 and, early on, worked together as they toured a music, dancing and monologue act.

They adopted two children, Sam and Dixie Griffith, and seemed like the perfect family—until they weren’t. Pressures—the specifics of which aren’t known—took their toll and they divorced in 1972 after nearly 24 years together.

Andy Griffith and Solica Cassuto

Following his divorce in 1972, it wasn’t long—in fact just a year—before Andy Griffith married his second wife, a Greek singer and actress named Solica Cassuto. One of the big differences between her and Barbara Edwards is that Solica was not involved with Griffith’s career in the same way. They divorced in 1981 after eight years of marriage.

Andy Griffith and Cindi Knight

While he was shooting the 1978 TV movie Murder in Coweta County, Andy Griffith met future wife Cindi Knight, who had a small part in the film. After the two got married in 1983, she more or less stepped away from acting and focused instead on their relationship and home life. When he developed health problems in later years, she was reportedly there for him in every way and they were together until his death in 2012 at age 86.

Ron Howard’s marriage to Cheryl Alley: a Hollywood love that lasted

Ron Howard (Opie Taylor) has had a remarkable Hollywood success story,  not only in transitioning from child actor to adult (as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days) and director, but in terms of his marriage and being with the same person since 1975. He met Cheryl Alley while they were students at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California during the early 1970s. They were both 21 when they walked down the aisle and have four children: Bryce Dallas Howard, twins Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Howard and Reed Cross Howard.

As to the longevity of their marriage, Ron commented, “People say, ‘How’d you do it?’ There’s no technique. There’s no tactic other than communication is really important. You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways. Beyond that, there’s an element of luck because people either grow together or they don’t, and I don’ think you can force that.”

Don Knotts’ journey through three marriages

Don Knotts and Kathryn Metz

Following his stint in the U.S. Army during World War II, Don Knotts (Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife) married Kathryn Metz in 1947. Together they became parents to Karen Knotts (who would become a comedian and actress) and Thomas Knotts. A combination of Don’s depression issues and his tendency to be a workaholic resulted in their marriage ending  in divorce by 1964. They were together for a total of 17 years.

Don Knotts and Loralee Czuchna

A decade after his marriage to Kathryn Metz, Don Knotts remarried, this time to Loralee Czuchna in 1974. While there is nothing to confirm this, it seems that the same issues that ended his first marriage had the same results in the second. They divorced in 1983.

Don Knotts and Frances Yarborough

An executive secretary and actress, Frances Yarborough became Don Knotts’ third wife, the two having met in the late 1990s. They married in 2002 and were together until Knotts died in 2006 at 81.

Hal Smith and Louise C. Smith: a love that spanned five decades

Hal Smith (Otis Campbell, aka “Otis the Drunk”) married his wife, Louisa, in 1936 and was with her until her death in 1992, the pair having a son named Terry. After her passing, Smith’s health began to deteriorate to the point where he died in 1994 at age 77 of an apparent heart attack.

Elinor Donahue and her three husbands

Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker in season 1 of the series) has had a long illustrious career in television, with credits ranging from Father Knows Best to Star Trek and The Odd Couple. She was married three times, initially to television executive Richard Smith, with whom she had son Brian.

She next married television producer Harry Akerman, who was a producer on such shows as her own Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace, Leave It to Beaver, Bewitched and The Flying Nun. Their three sons are Chris, James and Peter. Akerman passed away in 1991.

Donahue next married former Broadway actor and dancer Lou Genevrino on June 4, 1992 and they’ve been together ever since, going on 38 years!

Howard McNear and Helen: a supportive partnership through life and career challenges

Howard McNear (Floyd Lawson, aka “Floyd the Barber”), married his wife Helen on January 14, 1935, and they were together until his death on January 3, 1969, age 63. After suffering a stroke in 1963, he left The Andy Griffith Show, though Helen and Griffith himself convinced McNear to come back as Floyd and made every possible accommodation for shooting that they could. Helen credits that opportunity keeping him alive for as long as he was.

Jim Nabors and Stan Cadwallader: a 40-year love story

Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle) was in a relationship with former firefighter Stan Cadwallader for 38 years at the time they were married in 2013. The two moved to Hawaii in 1976 where they ran a successful macadamia plantation on Maui. They were together until Jim’s death at age 87 in 2017.

George Lindsey and his two relationships

George Lindsey (Goober Pyle) married Joy Herbert in 1955, and together they had children George Lindsay Jr. and Camden Lindsey. The couple divorced in 1991, following which he had a long-standing relationship with Nashville businesswoman Anne Wilson, with whom Lindsay was with until his passing at age 93 on May 6, 2012.