The Andy Griffith Show actress Maggie Peterson dies at 81

TV star Maggie Peterson, who played the role of Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, has died. She was 81 years old. Her niece, Amy Royer, announced the news through a Facebook post. The Andy Griffith Show Museum also shared the sad news on Facebook.

As per the Facebook post, Peterson had been suffering from ill-health since her husband's death in December. Peterson's husband, Gus Mancuso, was a jazz musician. They were happily married for more than 40 years.

Paying their tribute to the iconic TV star, The Andy Griffith Museum said that Peterson will always be remembered by her fans.


Peterson is well-known for playing the role of Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show. She first played the iconic role in 1963. After that, she became quite popular and continued playing Charlene Darling till 1966. She again made an appearance on the show in 1968, but this time with a different character named Doris. She also played the "Susie the waitress" character for "The Bill Dana Show" in 1964.

Peterson had also played a role in "Return to Mayberry", the 1986 TV movie. The movie had starred Peterson's former co-stars from The Andy Griffith Show as well. During the late '60s and early '70s, She also played minor roles in "The Odd Couple" and "Green Acres."

The TV star also made guest appearances on several shows, including "Love American Style," "The Queen And I," and "Mayberry RFD."

Peterson took retirement from acting in the late 1980s after making her last appearance on Television for an episode of "The Magical World of Disney" in 1987. After retirement, she worked for the Nevada Film Commission as a location manager on movies like "Casino," "Mars Attacks!" and "Pay It Forward."

Maggie Peterson was born in 1941 in Colorado and belonged to a musical family. She had met her husband in 1968 and married in 1978. She lived in Las Vegas during the last phase of her life.