Legendary Hollywood child star Dennis Rush, famous for his role in The Andy Griffith Show, died en route to hospital on May 9 at the age of 74. The star had been diagnosed with leukaemia just last month.

His friend Keith Thibodeaux paid a heartbreaking tribute in a Facebook post. Thibodeaux, who co-starred with Rush on Andy Griffith but was best known as Little Ricky on the groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy, shared a black-and-white photo of the pair together. He wrote: "I just got word that my old buddy Dennis Rush, a fine actor and a great friend, passed away.

"What a shock. I will miss him at the Andy Griffith festivals, as we had so many stories to tell. I'm just glad that I was able to pray with him last month at one of the festivals when he found out that he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

"Mayberry has lost a great citizen and a great friend."

Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, commented on the post: "Sorry, Keith. Those decades-long friendships are the best. He will save a nice place for you where he's going, I'm sure."

The star made his screen debut in 1957 aged just four opposite movie legend James Cagney in the Lon Chaney biopic Man of a Thousand Faces. He later recalled he and the Oscar-winning actor exchanged Christmas cards every year until James died in 1986.

From 1960-62, he worked on the classic western series Wagon Train, even being directed by John Ford in one episode. He stuck with westerns for his next role in the TV show Laramie.

He joined The Andy Griffith Show as Howie Prewitt in 1963. In a 2022 interview with WRAL, he recalled: "I got to be in eight episodes over about a two-and-a-half-year period.

During this period, he also appeared on episodes of The Millionaire, Checkmate, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, The Lucy Show, Gunsmoke, My Favourite Martian, My Living Doll and The Magical World of Disney.

"Every month or so, you would do a number of things, and then six months would go by, and you wouldn't do anything. Then you'd get a call and go on an interview, and you might be with 20 kids, or you might be with 200 kids [vying for the same job]," he said at a festival years later.

On the big screen, he appeared in the films No Name on the Bullet (1959) and Follow Me, Boys! (1966). The latter is listed as his final acting credit.

Following his glittering career as a child star, he joined the US Marines. He later learnt his parents had spent all the money he earned as an actor, which was as much as $500 a week - huge money at the time.

He went on to have a career in the hotel and restaurant business, although he was also a popular guest at the annual Mayberry Lucy fest.

The Andy Griffith Museum paid tribute to the star on its official Facebook page, saying: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dennis Rush, beloved to Mayberry fans as Opie's friend Howie Pruitt on The Andy Griffith Show.

"Dennis was an absolute joy to be around and one of the sweetest men you could ever meet. It was always a pleasure to welcome him to Mayberry Days, where he shared smiles, stories, hugs, and kindness with fans from all over the world.

"He will be deeply missed by the entire Mayberry family and the countless fans whose lives he touched through the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."