Though he was the star of The Andy Griffith Show, Andy Taylor was just one of many Mayberry townspeople, and though the Sheriff had his quirks, he was nowhere near as zany as some of the other residents.

During an interview with Knight-Ridder, star Andy Griffith said that his character “served a lot of purposes” as the straight man of the series.

“He had a lot of functions and a lot of jobs, some of which viewers may not have recognized,” said the actor. “Andy Taylor was a very bright, giving man with a sense of humor. My job as Andy Griffith was to play straight man to all the other characters. I played straight for anybody who was funny: Opie, Floyd, Barney. Especially Barney. It was too great an opportunity with him.”

Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

Not only did Griffith adore Barney Fife, but he also respected co-star Don Knotts as an actor, to the point where he encouraged writers to develop more plots for his character.

“So I recommended, all that first year Don Knotts was in the show, I kept saying, ‘We have to write more for Don. We have to write more for Don,’” said Griffith. “This combination of people made the show the success it was - that and the way we wrote for them.”

It was a warm kinship that extended beyond the set of The Andy Griffith Show.

“Of course, Barney is my favorite character,” said Griffith. “And Don was my favorite actor. Don and I have been friends since 1955, when we were in No Time for Sergeants together. And I think Don’s a genius.”