Aneta Corsaut

Early life and career

Born in Hutchinson, Kansas, Corsaut was the daughter of Jesse Harrison and Opal J. (née Swarens) Corsaut. She majored in drama at Northwestern University and studied acting with Lee Strasberg. During her junior year, Corsaut dropped out to pursue a career in acting, although during the run of The Andy Griffith Show, Corsaut took courses at UCLA with plans to earn her degree.

She began her acting career in New York City in the mid-1950s. In 1958, Corsaut and Steve McQueen made their film debuts in the independent cult horror film, The Blob.

Corsaut made her debut on the enduring series "The Griffith Show" in 1963, portraying the character of schoolteacher Helen Crump, who eventually marries the sheriff of Mayberry in the inaugural episode of the spin-off "Mayberry R.F.D." In addition, Corsaut played a recurring role as a friend of policeman Bumper Morgan, who owns a pawn shop, in "The Blue Knight" series, and portrayed Irma Howell in the brief series "Mrs. G. Goes to College." In the TV series Adam-12, Corsaut portrayed Officer Pete Malloy's girlfriend, Judy. She had a supporting role as Head Nurse Bradley in the 1980s sitcom House Calls, and also appeared in several episodes of Matlock with star Andy Griffith. In addition, Corsaut played the role of nurse Jesse Brewer in 1977 on the long-running ABC soap opera General Hospital when long-time portrayer Emily McLaughlin was too ill to work.

She returned to the role of Helen Crump in the reunion shows Return to Mayberry in 1986 and The Andy Griffith Show Reunion in 1993.

As a writer, she coauthored The Mystery Reader's Quiz Book.

Death

On November 6, 1995, Corsaut died of cancer in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, just three days after her 62nd birthday. She was interred at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.