Goober was actually based on a few real people, including George Lindsey

"Goober is actually a kinda composite," said Lindsey.

The Everett Collection

For those who know him as Goober and Goober alone, George Lindsey is here to remind you that his acting career was not limited to The Andy Griffith Show.

"Thing is, I made a good living as George Lindsey, an actor before I ever was Goober on the old Andy Griffith Show and then on Mayberry RFD, which was a good show that should never have been canceled," he said during an interview with the Copely News Service.

Previous to The Andy Griffith Show, Lindsey appeared in shows like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman. Lindsey also experienced success after The Andy Griffith Show with shows like Hee Haw. But Goober was a recognized and celebrated character, both by fans and Lindsey himself. 

"Personally, now, I like Goober," he said. "He's really and truly a good ol' boy. I've always said that Goober may have an IQ of about twelve but his common sense IQ must be around two hundred. He knows all about outer space, too, from reading the Capt. Whammo comic books."

While there are aspects of Goober that seem a bit too comedic to be true, he is actually grounded in reality, if Lindsey's word is to be believed. 

"Goober is actually a kinda composite," he said. "Maybe fifty percent is the guys I grew up with down-home and the other fifty percent is me. But he isn't necessarily southern. You find Goobers every which way on the map."

Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

9 Comments

Lantern 8 days ago
Wonder where this photo was taken (of George on the RR track).
Bookman1963 9 days ago
As I've said in the past, I had the opportunity to interview Lindsey several years ago when he appeared in the town where I was a newspaper reporter making a personal appearance for a local bank. I never met anyone as full of himself as Lindsey was and I even had the opportunity to meet Mickey Rooney! Lindsey seriously compared himself to Paul Newman or Marlon Brando in terms of acting ability, and talked about doing a movie like Leslie Neilsen did with the "Naked Gun" and "Airplane" films. He even told a fan that his name was George and not Goober, although he signed his headshots as "George 'Goober' Lindsey."
JeffPaul76 9 days ago
A fact of which MeTV staff is or is not aware, is George Lindsay also appeared in M*A*S*H as a temporary replacement surgeon for B.J. Hunnicutt when he was assigned elsewhere for a while. And he, George, I forget the Character's name, got drunk and rode Sophie, Colonel Potter's horse & got caught by Potter.
Bookman1963 JeffPaul76 9 days ago
Actually, it was for Hawkeye not B.J. His character was named Roy Dupree.
Coldnorth JeffPaul76 1 day ago
Potter looked so angry when he sees Sophie being ridden, it looked real not acting
justjeff 10 days ago
"I've always said that Gooder may have an IQ of about twelve..." GOODER? It's very possible that the IQs of those who proofread these articles is also about twelve (or *less*)... and that seems to be "Gooder" enough for MeTV! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
McGillahooala justjeff 10 days ago
In the other George Lindsey article, they alternate between calling him Gomer and Goober. Sometimes I think they’re just messing with us.
justjeff McGillahooala 9 days ago
...or they've been smoking their socks!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Coldnorth justjeff 9 days ago
Overdose on smoked socks, more potent than any other substance on earth.🥵
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?