If you’re a fan of classic TV, you might remember Elinor Donahue as Betty “Princess” Anderson on Father Knows Best. Then in 1960, she stepped into the world of Mayberry as Ellie Walker, Sheriff Andy Taylor’s love interest on The Andy Griffith Show. But just like that, Ellie disappeared after the first season, leaving fans scratching their heads. Let’s dive into why she left and catch up with the actress who played her.
Why Did Ellie Walker Leave ‘The Andy Griffith Show’?
Let’s rewind for a moment. Father Knows Best aired for six seasons and wrapped up in May 1960. By then, Elinor Donahue had practically grown up in front of our eyes, playing one of the Anderson kids. When the show ended, she was ready to step into her next big role—but transitioning from a teenage daughter to a grown-up character wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
Just a few months after Father Knows Best ended, the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show aired on CBS in October 1960. Elinor was a key part of the first season, playing Ellie Walker, the pharmacist at Walker’s Drugstore in Mayberry. Fans loved her chemistry with Andy, but behind the scenes, Elinor was struggling.
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"I went pretty much immediately from Father Knows Best into The Andy Griffith Show, where I was really playing a grown-up with a profession, and moxie and stuff," Elinor told Closer in July 2020. "But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. I didn’t feel like I had all my feathers yet, and I didn’t feel capable. It was the strangest feeling."
Even though Ellie was a fan favorite, she only appeared in 12 episodes before disappearing. Elinor explained her decision to leave: "I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year, I asked to be let out of it because I didn’t feel that I was playing the role properly. I just didn’t feel right about it. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me—very lovely things—I was doing OK. I was just not a happy camper, and there was no point in my trying to continue with it."
Where Is Elinor Donahue Now?
Fast forward a few years, and Elinor ran into Andy Griffith at an event. She felt she owed him an apology for leaving so abruptly. But instead of being upset, Andy was nothing but kind.
"He was as gracious to me as you could imagine," she recalled. "He said they just didn’t know how to write for me. That could have been part of it. I didn’t think there was any real chemistry there. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case, he was able to relate."
Elinor eventually found her footing in other roles. She starred as Miriam Welby in The Odd Couple from 1972 to 1975, and from 1984 to 1986, she appeared in Days of Our Lives. Her most recent acting role was in 2011, where she played a character arc in The Young and the Restless. Born in Washington, D.C., Elinor is now a proud mom to four sons and continues to be admired by fans of classic television.
