‘The Andy Griffith Show’: Meet the Guy Who Plays ‘Goober’ on Movie Inspired by Show, ‘Mayberry Man’

The Andy Griffith Show has inspired a number of spinoffs and a huge following. It should come as no surprise then there’s even a movie inspired by the show’s setting, dubbed Mayberry Man. The man playing the quirky character, Goober, recently spoke about the experience and fan reception.

Mount Airy, North Carolina hosts an annual Mayberry Days festival, where show fans unite to dress up, talk, and enjoy all things The Andy Griffith Show. What makes this year so special is it’s where the film Mayberry Man debuted, an independent movie taking place in a modern-day Mayberry. After an arrogant movie star is busted for speeding, he is sentenced to attend Mayberry Fest. This event celebrates the show and spans an entire week. The actor playing Goober, Joel Alvarado, attended and gave his thoughts on the experience.

“It felt so weird, but he was like, ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way,’” Alvarado said after signing someone’s replica of Sheriff Andy’s car. “That tells me I am doing something that’s crazy.” The Charlotte Observer reports Alvarado studied broadcast journalism at ISU in 2005 and 2006. Shortly after, he left Indiana for California to work in reality television. Moving back to Indiana years later, he landed his Mayberry Man role. This inspired him to seek out other roles, such as in documentaries.

Cort and Stark Howell wrote and produced the movie respectively. Their late father, Hoke Howell, appeared in two The Andy Griffith Episodes. After the initial Goober actor dropped out, they opted for Alvarado, who performed admirably. “Joel Alvarado isn’t a Goober impersonator,” Cort Howell explained. “It was his own interpretation of Goober that landed him the role. His version of Goober is hilarious and stands on its own.”

You can watch Mayberry Man on Amazon Prime Video now.

Goober Actor George Lindsey Once Saved an Oscar Winner’s Life and Didn’t Know

Sometimes in life, it’s the little things you say or do that make a world of difference. Goober Pyle actor George Lindsey took that to the next level after saving an Oscar winner and not even being aware of it.

Ernest Borgnine starred on shows like Airwolf and McHale’s Navy. However, he also won an Oscar for his role in Marty in 1955. Having an opportunity to meet Borgnine for lunch, George Lindsey was ecstatic. MeTV talked about it, saying not only was the lunch a success, but it turned into golf and dinner. Borgnine originally said he had to see a mechanic after lunch, but the Goober actor talked him into a round of golf.

Turns out Borgnine had contemplated suicide and Lindsey’s golf invitation saved his life. “He had been thinking about killing himself, but instead, he went and played golf with me,” Lindsey wrote in his memoir. “He said that I was responsible for saving his life. I never knew until he revealed it on A Current Affair.”

It just goes to show sometimes small gestures mean the most.