Elizabeth MacRae, girlfriend of Gomer Pyle, ‘General Hospital’ actress, dead at 88

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Actress Elizabeth MacRae, who played the love interest of bumbling Marine Gomer Pyle in the 1960s television comedy “Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C. and appeared on the soap opera “General Hospital,” died May 27. She was 88.

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According to her obituary, MacRae died at Highland House Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she grew up.

The actress, who was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on Feb. 22, 1936, began pursuing an acting career when she was 20, Deadline reported.

“She had a wonderful life,” the actor’s nephew Jim MacRae told CityView on Tuesday. “She was bright and articulate. She was still getting fan mail at Highland House.”

Her career spanned 25 years, and McRae had roles in several television series. She was best known for her recurring role as Lou-Ann Poovie, the girlfriend of Gomer Pyle, appearing in 15 episodes between 1966 and 1969, according to IMDb.com.

“She was my alter ego, and she lives inside me still,” MacRae told CityView in 2021. “I loved playing Lou-Ann Poovie.”

She also had a recurring role as nurse Meg Baldwin on “General Hospital” from 1969 until 1973, Entertainment Tonight reported.

According to her obituary, MacRae appeared on television in “The Verdict is Yours,” “Route 66,” “Surfside 6,” “The Fugitive,” “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “Judd for the Defense,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “General Hospital.”

She also appeared in several other soap operas, including 11 episodes of “Seach for Tomorrow,” according to IMDb.com. Other soaps included appearances in “Another World,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “Guiding Light,” Deadline reported.

MacRae’s film credits include “Live in a Goldfish Bowl,” “Everything’s Ducky,” “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” (as the voice of Ladyfish) and a prominent role in “The Conversation,” the entertainment news website reported.

Her last known acting credit was in 1989 in “Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!” according to IMDb.com.

MacRae left Hollywood and returned to New York City, where she was a drug and alcohol counselor, the Los Angeles Times reported. Nearly a decade later, she moved back to North Carolina with her husband, Charles Halsey.

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