'Goober Pyle' actor George Lindsey dies

By Alan Duke, CNN

 

George Lindsey, the actor who portrayed the country-bumpkin mechanic Goober Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show," died Sunday. He was 83.

George Lindsey, left, poses with Andy Griffith for a photo during the taping of "The Darling Fortune," an October 1966 episode of "The Andy Griffin Show." Lindsey's character joined the hit sitcom in 1964.

Left to right, Andy Griffith, Jim Nabors, Don Knotts and George Lindsey pose at the TV Land Awards in 2004.

Andy Griffith, left, Lindsey, center, and Howard McNear sit outside a barber shop in a still from "The Andy Griffith Show" around 1966.

Lindsey, left, Vince Van Patten and Cloris Leachman perform in a scene from the movie "Charley And The Angel," which was released in 1973.

George Lindsey and Lulu Roman attend Country's Family Reunion Salute to the Kornfield in May 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. Roman was a regular on the TV series "Hee Haw," which also featured Lindsey's Goober character.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• George Lindsey joined the hit sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" in 1964
• Lindsey continued as Goober on the sequel series "Mayberry R.F.D." for three years
• He embraced the Goober character for another 20 years on TV's "Hee Haw"
• Goober Pyle's character was the cousin of series original Gomer Pyle

Los Angeles (CNN) -- George Lindsey, the actor who portrayed the country-bumpkin mechanic Goober Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show," died Sunday after a brief illness, his family said. He was 83.

Lindsey's character Goober Pyle joined the hit sitcom in 1964 as the cousin of Gomer Pyle, played by Jim Nabors. When the show ended four seasons later, Lindsey continued as Goober for three years on the sequel series "Mayberry R.F.D."

"George often told me his fondest memories of his life in show business were the years he spent working on 'The Andy Griffith Show' and 'Mayberry R.F.D.'" said Andy Griffith. "They were for me, too."

The Fairfield, Alabama, native never escaped the stereotyping that the role brought him. He embraced it for another 20 years as a regular on TV's "Hee Haw," by wearing the familiar hat and clothes of Goober, and carried the character on the road for decades of stand-up comedy shows.

Lindsey auditioned for the Gomer Pyle role when the show started in 1962, but he was edged out by Nabors, the family's obituary said. When he saw that first episode on TV featuring Nabors as Gomer, he kicked his television screen because he was upset for losing the part.

"Not only that, but now I didn't have a TV to watch 'Ben Casey' on," Lindsey wrote in his autobiography. He was finally added to the cast as Goober, eventually taking over the job of running Mayberry's gas station when Gomer joined the Marines with his own spinoff show, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."

Lindsey turned to acting after a stint the U.S. Air Force and then as a high school teacher. He studied at the American Theater Wing in New York for two years while working as a comedian in nightclubs and coffeehouses. An agent from the William Morris Agency saw his work and signed him.

That representation led to stage roles, including the production of "All American" at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre.

Lindsey moved to Los Angeles, where his work was mostly in westerns, such as "The Rifleman" and "Gunsmoke." He also acted in the "The Real McCoys," "The Twilight Zone" and several Disney productions. He was cast in three episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

An obituary released by the Nashville funeral home handling Lindsey's arrangements said the actor often joked about what he wanted written on his tombstone

"One choice goes for the joke: 'I told you I was sick.' The other goes for the heart: 'I hope I made you laugh.' "

Lindsey is survived by his son George Lindsey Jr., daughter Camden Jo Lindsey Gardner, and two grandsons.