Ask American Profile

John Dye, Betty Lynn, Lee Ann Womack, Laurence Fishburne, Sue Grafton

Who is the male angel on the series Touched by an Angel? Can you give me some details about his life and career?
—Inez L., Massachusetts

John Dye, 37, plays the angel “Andrew” in the popular series. He was born and raised near Tupelo in Amory, Miss., (pop. 7,154) and graduated from Tupelo High School where he played trombone in the marching band. Dye began studying law at Mississippi State University but later transferred to the University of Memphis, where he changed his major to drama. His first film role was in a 1984 comedy, Makin’ the Grade, followed by Perfect Weapon and Big Man on Campus. Television credits include Murder, She Wrote and The Young and the Restless. Dye is trained in singing (classical and Broadway) and dance (jazz and modern). He also enjoys horseback riding, swimming, tennis, and baseball. He divides his time between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, where Touched By An Angel is filmed.

What was the name of the actress who played Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show, and where is she now?
—James H., West Virginia

“I haven’t been trying in the last 10 years to do any film, whatsoever,” says Betty Lynn, 73, a Kansas City, Mo., native who lives in Los Angeles. “I have occasionally done a voiceover and make a few appearances for the fans of The Andy Griffith Show.” After playing Thelma Lou for five years, Lynn, who never married, acted in numerous movies and television shows, including playing Brian Keith’s secretary on Family Affair and Fred McMurray’s secretary on My Three Sons. But she’ll always be known as Thelma Lou to her fans. “They just love that show and … hope it will go on forever.”

The song I Hope You Dance by country singer Lee Ann Womack is such a beautiful, powerful song. Is there a story behind it?
—Caryl J., Wisconsin

“We all have really big decisions to make at points in our life and ... mine was a very heartbreaking decision,” says Tia Sillers, who wrote last year’s Country Music Association’s Song of the Year with Mark D. Sanders. The song encourages a sense of wonder, awe, and giving “faith a fighting chance.” Says Sillers. “I went down to the beach (and) I thought, ‘I feel so small when I stand beside the ocean; I’m just so inconsequential.’” She took those thoughts to a songwriting session with Sanders, and, with the lyrics, “I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,” a hit was born.

My mother insists that actor Laurence Fishburne was on The Mod Squad in the 1970s. Is that true?
—Brittany L., Kentucky

Your mother is thinking of Clarence Williams III, who starred with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole in the television series that ran from 1968-73. Fishburne scored his first major acting roles in the daytime drama One Life to Live in 1968 and in the 1975 feature film Cornbread, Earl and Me, and has since been seen in such films as The Matrix, What’s Love Got to do With It?, and The Tuskegee Airmen.

Author Sue Grafton’s books are cleverly titled: A is For Alibi, B is For Burglar, E is For Evidence. Where is she now, and will she finish the alphabet?
—Randee P., Michigan

The 16th installment of Grafton’s best-selling Kinsey Millhone series, which will begin with the letter P, will be published in May. Grafton intends to finish the alphabet, but she’s always taken the series one book at a time. “My biggest concern is to keep the quality of the writing as high as I can manage,” she says. “As I’ve said many times, I’m really not interested in writing the same book more than once. I probably put more energy and ingenuity into coming up with fresh storylines than I do any other aspect of the writing.” Grafton had two novels published prior to her alphabet series—Keziah Dane in 1967 and The Lolly-Madonna War in 1969.

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