Ken Berry said Frances Bavier didn't appreciate her TAGS character until later in life

Berry loved Frances Bavier and believed that once she appreciated being Aunt Bee, she was able to have fun with the role.

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Before he was Vinton Harper on Mama's Family, Ken Berry was Sam Jones on Mayberry R.F.D and a few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Since the actor became a Mayberry citizen, he got to know more about Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Frances Bavier.

He even became a part of Griffith's inner circle and took hunting trips with the actor whenever he appeared on Mayberry R.F.D to help with the show's ratings.

We all know Frances Bavier as the loveable Aunt Bee, and she was known for being honest about how she felt about the role

In fact, Ken Berry said he thought the actress didn't appreciate her Andy Griffith Show character until later in life. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Berry talked about Bavier and why it took her awhile to appreciate the role.

"Frances... I liked her so much. But she was this 'actress,' you know, and I think that she wanted to be known the way some of her contemporaries were known... as a theatrical actress, " he said. "But she had gotten this job as plain Aunt Bee and became famous for it."

It's common for actors to take on roles that aren't usually what they'd go for, especially when opportunities become limited in the industry.

However, when you become known for that role, it can take you through various emotions. You don't want to be ungrateful, but you wish you were known for something better, and it seemed like that's how Frances Bavier felt.

"And she didn't really appreciate it that much, I don't think, until later on in life. And then she capitalized on it. You know, she had fun with it. But she probably always wanted to be a more serious actress. She was a very nice lady and very sweet...I loved her," he added.

Perhaps the love Bavier received made her feel that there was no one better for the role of Aunt Bee than her. She brought the part to life and was just as successful as her peers.

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51 Comments

Pacificsun 18 months ago
It doesn't happen very often. But sometimes a visitor will come to this site. And pick a story about a familiar actor or series. And they might be expecting some "depth." That's not what these offerings about. In general, the through-point (meaning theme) of the story, is right in the beginning of the article. In this case, it's right there "Francis Bavier didn't appreciate Aunt Bee (role) until later in life." Period, that it's, and means what it says. To extend the article (to fill the space) that theme might be said in a couple of different ways. But it's basically a one-shot review. Nothing wrong at all. But if readers are that interested, should be redirected to a dedicated TAGS website for all the details, and in-depth backstories. But to quibble, here, on this particular site about "hunting or dirt bikes or not" is useless. These stories are quick-hits, by the MeTV writing staff, to meet a lot of different viewer interests. And even more can be found, by cross referencing with Wiki. And especially, those dedicated websites directed to the Series, themselves.
CoreyC 18 months ago
My favorite Aunt Bee was her acting as Otis' warden.
CarmineMurray 19 months ago
Sounds sort of bogus with the extra emphasis on not hunting, and I am not saying Andy didn't get into hunting or Dirt Bikes, because I sure did, I rode extreme trails and wore out Bikes like the Yamaha DT 125cc and Suzuki TS 125cc as those were My favorites and I did hunt extensively as I always preferred game over Supermarket stuff, as I preferred Eggs 🥚 from My own Poultry over store bought, that said, I can't see Ken wasting time in a Motorhome or RV while everyone else was hunting, seems unlikely, if he really shot Skeet or Trap, this story seems made up.
The Original Andy Griffith show ran a long time before Ken was a part of it, and long before his part on Mama's Family as a truly Sissified even Girly Mama's boy, now that is believable.
Teach66 CarmineMurray 19 months ago
Your crude comments about Ken Berry are not appreciated by people who knew him and worked with him. Your response to the article was about YOU and YOUR many activities. We all now know how macho you are. The crude and suggestive comment at the end was plain sad. Ken was an ACTOR and made plenty of money ACTING on that show. Those who knew Ken knew of his love of dirt bikes and camping. Check his bios. There was NOTHING "bogus" about Ken Berry.
PierreKhoury Teach66 19 months ago
I agree with you 100% I've always loved Ken Berry!
CoreyC CarmineMurray 18 months ago
Ken Berry was a talented dancer and actor.
solarface 19 months ago
I don't imagine there's another human on earth that could have played that role better than Frances. God rest her soul.
DZee 19 months ago
There are many color episodes that are good too. I wish MeTV would air seasons 6-8 instead of just 1-5.
kmarsh12 DZee 19 months ago
My wife loves them and we watch a lot of them. I like them, too, but some new blood in the series would be welcome.
CoreyC DZee 18 months ago
I thought that the color episodes of TAGS was inferior.
AlanRock18 19 months ago
Ken Berry was a dear family friend of ours. His first cousin Lola was my mother's best friend for years. Got to meet Ken several times after Lola's passing and always enjoyed our phone conversations and our get-togethers, including his surprise appearance at a National Day of the Cowboy event we were holding at the Barnes and Noble in Valencia, California a little over a decade ago. Very sad when he passed.

Thank you for posting this.
Teach66 AlanRock18 19 months ago
He was a truly nice man and a successful actor. Thank you for telling us about him from your personal experiences.
MarthaWashington 19 months ago
If anyone pays attention to the episodes where Aunt Bee is preparing a meal or baking. She serves everyone, sits down and quickly gets back up again. I've never ever seen her take a bite of her own food
ic TV

Before he was Vinton Harper on Mama's Family, Ken Berry was Sam Jones on Mayberry R.F.D and a few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Since the actor became a Mayberry citizen, he got to know more about Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Frances Bavier.

He even became a part of Griffith's inner circle and took hunting trips with the actor whenever he appeared on Mayberry R.F.D to help with the show's ratings.

See More

Ken Berry and Andy Griffith tore up trails on dirt bikes between shooting Mayberry scenes
We all know Frances Bavier as the loveable Aunt Bee, and she was known for being honest about how she felt about the role.

In fact, Ken Berry said he thought the actress didn't appreciate her Andy Griffith Show character until later in life. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Berry talked about Bavier and why it took her awhile to appreciate the role.

"Frances... I liked her so much. But she was this 'actress,' you know, and I think that she wanted to be known the way some of her contemporaries were known... as a theatrical actress, " he said. "But she had gotten this job as plain Aunt Bee and became famous for it."

It's common for actors to take on roles that aren't usually what they'd go for, especially when opportunities become limited in the industry.

However, when you become known for that role, it can take you through various emotions. You don't want to be ungrateful, but you wish you were known for something better, and it seemed like that's how Frances Bavier felt.

"And she didn't really appreciate it that much, I don't think, until later on in life. And then she capitalized on it. You know, she had fun with it. But she probably always wanted to be a more serious actress. She was a very nice lady and very sweet...I loved her," he added.

Perhaps the love Bavier received made her feel that there was no one better for the role of Aunt Bee than her. She brought the part to life and was just as successful as her peers.


Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!
Weeknights at 7 & 7:30, Sundays at 5 & 5:30 PM
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29 Comments

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CarmineMurray
Just Now
Sounds sort of bogus with the extra emphasis on not hunting, and I am not saying Andy didn't get into hunting or Dirt Bikes, because I sure did, I rode extreme trails and wore out Bikes like the Yamaha DT 125cc and Suzuki TS 125cc as those were My favorites and I did hunt extensively as I always preferred game over Supermarket stuff, as I preferred Eggs 🥚 from My own Poultry over store bought, that said, I can't see Ken wasting time in a Motorhome or RV while everyone else was hunting, seems unlikely, if he really shot Skeet or Trap, this story seems made up.
The Original Andy Griffith show ran a long time before Ken was a part of it, and long before his part on Mama's Family as a truly Sissified even Girly Mama's boy, now that is believable.
Like

DZee
3 hours ago
There are many color episodes that are good too. I wish MeTV would air seasons 6-8 instead of just 1-5.
Like (1)

kmarsh12 DZee
1 hour ago
My wife loves them and we watch a lot of them. I like them, too, but some new blood in the series would be welcome.
Like (1)

AlanRock18
5 hours ago
Ken Berry was a dear family friend of ours. His first cousin Lola was my mother's best friend for years. Got to meet Ken several times after Lola's passing and always enjoyed our phone conversations and our get-togethers, including his surprise appearance at a National Day of the Cowboy event we were holding at the Barnes and Noble in Valencia, California a little over a decade ago. Very sad when he passed.

Thank you for posting this.
Like (1)

MarthaWashington
6 hours ago
If anyone pays attention to the episodes where Aunt Bee is preparing a meal or baking. She serves everyone, sits down and quickly gets back up again. I've never ever seen her take a bite of her own food
Like

CarmineMurray MarthaWashington
Just Now
I had relatives that would cook like mad, My Sister too, My Sister often had no appetite after cooking, I did the dishes as She couldn't.

The old fashioned Women would cook and then eat almost nothing at the dinner table then clean up and do other things, play family games or piano, as they preferred to eat differently and eat while those extensively difficult meals were cooking as it took many hours in the oven and it was better to eat in the kitchen rather than starve.

This goes back to antiquity and how people of that generation did things, most of those women practically lived in the kitchen and as the main place to be, also the telephone ☎️ and radio 📻 were likely in the kitchen as well and those were very important.
Coldnorth MarthaWashington 19 months ago
Sounds like my Mother was.
Coldnorth MarthaWashington 19 months ago
Sorry for the terrible grammer
Wiseguy70005 Coldnorth 18 months ago
grammar LOL
Because that's what the writer or director wanted the character to do. This isn't real life, people!
Kcdaf40 MarthaWashington 18 months ago
That was pretty much the norm back then.
JHP 19 months ago
good ol' Aunt Bee - couldn't make pickles but flew an airplane:)
tlauzau 19 months ago
Here is the house that she lived in for many years until her death in 1989. Also, a pic of her grave. Both in Siler City, NC.
solarface tlauzau 19 months ago
Amazing photos thank you for those.
tootsieg 19 months ago
Aunt Bee was the best everything. Aunt, family matriarch, cook, housekeeper.
Deleted 19 months ago
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JHP 19 months ago
I can't stop laughing!!!! - Maybe Emma Brant could be one of the night girls:)

And poor Ellen Brown wouldn't get one john for business.
JHP 19 months ago
would give a new meaning to "pickleball" :)
CarmineMurray 19 months ago
Yeah, I really doubt that, Frances Bavier was too much a Church ⛪️ type Lady, and in general, a very straight laced Woman.
19 months ago
This comment has been removed.
Andybandit 19 months ago
I am probably the only one who never saw Mayberry R.F.D. I wish MeTv would air it.
Load previous comments
DoubleNaughtSpy Andybandit 19 months ago
Don't despair, Andybandit. There's a pretty good chance that a few episodes of "Mayberry R.F.D." will pop up on MeTV next month during the dreaded annual celebration of the "Month of Mayberry."
CarmineMurray Andybandit 19 months ago
You missed very little, I really liked Andy Griffith in Salvage,
Now a remake of that with a Proper cast would be excellent !
LoveMETV22 daDoctah 18 months ago
" MeTV+ runs it."
----------------
Hopefully that's were they keep it.

Perhaps there is something in the agreement wherever they get the series from, that they must air it if they want to keep it in their library. The only benefit seems to be running it during their "Month of Mayberry" promo. Weigel would do just as well with "TAGS" Season 1-5 only.
LoveMETV22 LoveMETV22 18 months ago
PS: typo "where" not "were" LOL
cperrynaples 19 months ago
If you're wondering why Berry wasn't in Return To Mayberry, it was because of a production conflict with Mama's Family!
JHP cperrynaples 19 months ago
in the words of Dr Smith "oh the pain...the pain"
bru JHP 18 months ago
Just saw the Dr. Smith actor on the Twilight Zone episode the other night.
Wiseguy70005 bru 18 months ago
He was in two TZ episodes, both in the second season (one filmed, one taped).
JHP Wiseguy70005 18 months ago
Johnathan Harris - another great actor pigeon ed holed in a role - remember when I was a tot - that character am sure was my 1st villain - even before Batman - but as the show went on he wasn't that bad of a guy
LoveMETV22 19 months ago
Enjoyed Aunt Bee more during the first five seasons of "TAGS". The dynamic between her and Andy wasn't the same in the last three seasons.
Coldnorth LoveMETV22 19 months ago
I her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me. I know that’s not nice but that is my opinion
JHP Coldnorth 19 months ago
remember now ... she was singing in the Mayberry choir and she was "tiddly" with the Col's Indian elixir . Now if I heard that singing I would need some of the Col's
Coldnorth JHP 19 months ago
Lol sometimes someone has a voice pitch that drives me batty. Maybe my voice does the same to others.
Runeshaper 19 months ago
Bavier was a GREAT Aunt Bee. I'd have her as an aunt any day!
Moody Runeshaper 19 months ago
Yes, Aunt Bee was great but nobody could top my Aunt Sophia!
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