List of The Andy Griffith Show characters
The following is a list of characters of The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom television series, starring Andy Griffith. The series ran for eight seasons on CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968.
Main
| Character | Seasons | No. of episodes | Actor | Brief description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Taylor | 1–8 | 249 | Andy Griffith | Sheriff of Mayberry; father (widower) of Opie |
| Opie Taylor | 1–8 | 209 | Ronny Howard | Son of Andy Taylor |
| Barney Fife | 1–5 | 141 | Don Knotts | Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry |
| Aunt Bee | 1–8 | 175 | Frances Bavier | Andy's paternal aunt |
Sheriff Andrew Jackson "Andy" Taylor is Sheriff and Justice of the Peace of Mayberry. He is genial, good-natured and endears himself to the townsfolk with an air of good will, polite charm and keeps the peace by using common sense. He refuses to wear a gun or formalize his uniform with a tie, as he feels a relaxed image makes him more approachable. Andy is a widower with a young son, Opie, and tries to raise him with good sense and good values. Also in his home is his paternal Aunt Bee who arrives in the home shortly after the previous housekeeper, Rose, marries and moves away. Although a widower, Andy has a steady string of girlfriends, but his longest-lasting relationship is with Helen Crump, Opie's teacher, whom he eventually marries, moves out of Mayberry with, becomes a U.S. Postal Inspector, and moves back to Mayberry and runs for Sheriff.
Opie Taylor is the son of Andy Taylor and his late wife. A good-hearted, normal little boy (about six when the series began), most of Opie's lessons come from his close relationship with his father, and his Great Aunt Bee. He is not prone to get into trouble and that probably has to do with spending a great deal of time around the jail. At one point, Aunt Bee considers this to be a bad influence and when Opie runs away from home briefly, she relents and allows him to visit the jail after school on a conditional basis.
Deputy Bernard "Barney" Fife is Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry. Thin, wiry and high-strung, Barney fancies himself an expert lawman even though—in reality—he is actually a bumbling goof. In episodes 001 and 002, Andy refers to him as "Cousin Barney". In episode 025, his middle name is said to be "Oliver"; in episode 082, his middle name according to his high school yearbook is "Milton", in episode 157 (season 5) his middle initial is repeated as "P". He considers his position to be essential to keeping Mayberry safe. Even though the town has very little crime, he dubs the town: "Mayberry, Gateway to Danger". Andy keeps Barney's crime-fighting shenanigans to a reasonable level, but tries to never step on his ego. For safety reasons, he only allows Barney to carry one bullet, which he keeps in his shirt pocket until needed. Often, when the bullet is employed, Barney accidentally shoots the bullet into the floor, narrowly missing his own foot. Like Andy, he has a steady stream of girlfriends, but his longest lasting relationship is with Thelma Lou. In episode 028, Barney has just met Thelma Lou at the "Junction Diner". In season five, he takes a job as a detective in Raleigh, leaving Mayberry, but returns in seasons six through eight for guest appearances.
Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor is Andy's paternal aunt. Aunt Bee is a spinster in her late-50s who raised Andy. She was living alone in West Virginia when Andy invited her to come to live with him and Opie, after their housekeeper Rose got married and moved away. Aunt Bee is a motherly figure who takes the place of Opie's late mother and dotes over the boy, caring for his welfare and taking care of Andy as well. She is prominent in town, a respected lady who spends her time helping with social functions and church events. She is prone to spend time with her friends gossiping about the town's citizens.
Recurring
| Name | Seasons | No. of episodes | Played by | Brief character summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goober Pyle | 4–8 | 86 | George Lindsey | Auto mechanic and cousin of Gomer Pyle |
| Floyd Lawson | 1–7 | 80 | Howard McNear | The barber |
| Helen Crump | 3–8 | 66 | Aneta Corsaut | School teacher and Andy's girlfriend in later episodes |
| Howard Sprague | 6–8 | 37 | Jack Dodson | The milquetoast county clerk |
| Otis Campbell | 1–7 | 32 | Hal Smith | The town drunk who lets himself into the jail to sleep it off |
| Clara Edwards | 1–8 | 31 | Hope Summers | aka Clara Johnson, Bertha Edwards; a widow who is Aunt Bee's best friend |
| Thelma Lou | 1–6 | 26 | Betty Lynn | Barney’s girlfriend. Her last name was never revealed. |
| Gomer Pyle | 3–4 | 23 | Jim Nabors | Dim-witted mechanic at Wally's Filling Station; a deputy when needed; joins the United States Marine Corps |
| Emmett Clark | 8 | 16 | Paul Hartman | Fix-it shop owner/operator |
| Ellie Walker | 1 | 12 | Elinor Donahue | Andy's first girlfriend of the series; pharmacist at drug store |
| Johnny Paul Jason | 3–6 | 11 | Richard Keith | Opie's best friend |
| Deputy Warren Ferguson | 6 | 11 | Jack Burns | Floyd's nephew; replaces Barney |
| Mayor Pike | 1–2 | 11 | Dick Elliott | Mayor of Mayberry |
| Jud Fletcher | 1–7 | 8 | Burt Mustin | Elderly citizen of Mayberry |
| Mayor Roy Stoner | 3 | 7 | Parley Baer | Mayor of Mayberry |
| Briscoe Darling | 3–7 | 6 | Denver Pyle | Head of The Darlings |
| Charlene Darling | 3–7 | 5 | Maggie Peterson | Briscoe Darling's daughter. Had a crush on Andy. |
| Reverend Hobart M. Tucker | 3–8 | 6 | William Keene | Pastor of All Souls Church |
| The Darling Boys | 3–7 | 6 | The Dillards | Musical brothers played by real-life bluegrass band |
| Ben Weaver | 1–8 | 6 | Will Wright/Tol Avery | Miserly old landlord and department store owner |
| Emma Watson | 1–2 | 6 | Cheerio Meredith | aka Emma Brand |
| Ernest T. Bass | 3–6 | 5 | Howard Morris | A troublemaking mountain man |
| Asa Breeney | 3–5 | 5 | Charles P. Thompson | The elderly (always sleeping) Mayberry Bank guard |
| John Masters | 2–5 | 5 | Olan Soule | Choir director and hotel manager |
| Leon | 2–4 | 5 | Clint Howard | Toddler in a cowboy outfit |
| Peggy McMillan | 3 | 4 | Joanna Moore | Andy's girlfriend and nurse |
| Sam Jones | 8 | 4 | Ken Berry | Widowed farmer |
| Rafe Hollister | 2–3 | 3 | Jack Prince | Local farmer and moonshiner |
| Wally | 3 4 6 7 | 5 | Trevor Bardette Norman Leavitt (2) Cliff Norton Blackie Hunt | Owner of the filling station where Gomer and later Goober work |
| Martha Clark | 8 | 3 | Mary Lansing | Emmett's wife |
| Trey Bowden | 4 | 3 | David Alan Bailey | Opie's friend |
| Daphne | 3–5 | 3 | Jean Carson | One of “The Fun Girls” |
| Skippy | 3–5 | 3 | Joyce Jameson | The other “Fun Girl” |
| Malcolm Merriweather | 3–6 | 3 | Bernard Fox | English valet |