‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Star Pamelyn Ferdin Once Recalled Her First Time Crying on Cue

During the 1960s, Pamelyn Ferdin captured hearts everywhere as the little girl who cried on the classic TV series “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Although she had wowed viewers at home with her performances in shows like “My Three Sons,” “Star Trek,” and “Gunsmoke,” it was her appearance on “The Andy Griffith Show” that made her stand out. 

The episode titled “The Bazaar” marked the first time she cried on camera. It was also the only time she was in the series. Years later, the child star posted on Facebook, recalling how she made an “impression” on Andy Griffith with her tears.

During her time as a child star, Ferdin was an in-demand child star. She was even reportedly paid $2,400 every time one of her more than 300 commercials aired.

While guest starring on the ’70s hit shows like “The Odd Couple,” “The Brady Bunch,” and “Lassie,” she also became known for voice acting as Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts specials as well as Fern in Charlotte’s Web.

While working on sets, Ferdin also made sure to keep up on her schoolwork. She was even known to work on homework between takes. In interviews, the young star became known for speaking about the need to focus on her school work.

Why Pamelyn Ferdin had to wear dentures as a child actor

Prior, she was also known for being one of the youngest actors to wear dentures onscreen. Outlets reported that she had lost her two front teeth just after being cast for “The John Forsythe Show.” She even had to wear an upper plate to cover up her missing teeth. 

Throughout the years, Pamelyn Ferdin continued to act. She joined the cast of the series “Space Academy” and guest-starred in several TV shows. However, by the early ’80s, Ferdin took a break from acting. However, she returned to do voice work for an animated series called “Detention” from 1999 to 2000.

Pamelyn Ferdin once wrote about her career as a child actor on her website. She dubbed herself “the busiest child actress in Hollywood” for “the greater part of a decade.”

“Maybe you didn’t know my name. But you knew my face, and if you couldn’t place the face, you surely knew my voice,” Ferdin wrote.

While she doesn’t explain why she stopped performing, she does have value her fans for keeping the memory of her acting alive. 

“It warms my heart that so many people remember me fondly as Edna Unger from television’s “The Odd Couple,” as Fern from the movie Charlotte’s Web, as Sally from The Cat in the Hat, or as the signature voice of the crabby but much-loved Lucy Van Pelt from Peanuts TV specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” she wrote.