While many of the cast members from The Andy Griffith Show are unfortunately no longer with us, let’s take a look at what the main actors did once the show ended its legendary run. We will be walking you through some amazing highlights from the legendary careers of Ron Howard, Frances Bavier, Jim Nabors, Aneta, Hal Smith, George Lindsey and of course, Don Knotts.
But no other cast member’s post-series life will impress you as much as this next person…
One Of The Show’s Biggest Mysteries
Opie is a 6-year-old when the series opens, who lives in the fictional and idealized small, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina, with his widowed father, Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), the sheriff of Mayberry County, and his father's spinster aunt, Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor.
Opie’s mom is mentioned only one time during the entire series. In an episode titled “Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee,” Andy becomes nostalgic and he tells Opie how much he had loved the boy’s mother. Viewers never hear anymore about her or even see a photograph. However, in an episode of ‘The Danny Thomas Show’ (which spawned The Andy Griffith Show), Andy relates that she died when Opie was just “the least little speck of a baby.”
Griffith Had Other Work Besides The Show
Andy Griffith was a man of many talents. He was not only an actor, but also a comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer, and writer, whose career spanned seven decades. Although he’s mostly remembered for “The Andy Griffith Show”, he also had a very successful career on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award.
Griffith also played the main character on another television show, ‘Matlock’. Griffith also made other character appearances throughout the years on Playhouse 90 , Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. , The Mod Squad , Hawaii Five-O , The Doris Day Show, Here's Lucy, The Bionic Woman and Fantasy Island , among many others. He also reprised his role as Ben Matlock on Diagnosis: Murder in 1997, and his final guest-starring role was in 2001 in an episode of Dawson's Creek. Andy Griffith passed away in 2012 at the age of 86.
Director Ron Howard
During his time on The Andy Griffith Show, Ron also appeared in the musical film The Music Man (1962) and the comedy film The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963). In 1973, he played Steve Bolander in the classic coming of age film American Graffiti (1973). In 1974, Howard became a household name playing teenager Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days , which ran for seven years.
Ron has received many awards for his works, including the National Medal of Arts. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2013 and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It looks like Opie has done pretty well for himself!
Frances Bavier Becomes a North Carolinian
After The Andy Griffith Show, Frances Bavier opted to stay in North Carolina, versus returning to her native New York City. In 1972, Bavier retired from acting and bought a home in Siler City, North Carolina.
On choosing to live in North Carolina instead of her native New York, Bavier said, "I fell in love with North Carolina, all the pretty roads and the trees." Bavier never married or had children. According to a 1981 article by Chip Womick, a staff writer of The Courier Tribune, Bavier enthusiastically promoted Christmas and Easter Seal Societies from her Siler City home, and often wrote inspirational letters to fans who sought autographs.