As niece Stephanie Morton-Millstein related to The Hollywood Reporter, Arlene Golonka "loved to teach," with one of her acting pupils being none other than Oscar-winner Halle Berry. Even at a 1997 "Mayberry R.F.D." convention, Golonka was imparting her knowledge. She told the fan-filled audience her secret to living as an actor. "It's 97 percent work and it's 3 percent glamour," she divulged. "I call it the most unglamorous glamorous business in the world. I mean, you've gotta go on diets, you've gotta keep your body wonderful, you've gotta try to stay looking young, you've gotta bleach your hair — I do! — you've gotta have a huge wardrobe [for auditions]." 

Named after Arline Judge, per Rotten Tomatoes ("a beautiful B-movie actress known more for her rocky love affairs than her sterling acting talents"), Golonka was resolutely true to herself. In a 1969 interview (via THR), she was asked if she considered changing her Polish surname for a stage name. Golonka replied, "I began to get recognition in the days when we had stars with names like Marlon Brando, Tab Hunter, Rory Calhoun, Rip Torn, and Rock Hudson. I just thought it would be nice to have an Arlene Golonka in there."  

"I breathe, eat, and live acting," the actor added at the "Mayberry R.F.D." fan gathering. She will surely be remembered for doing as much.

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