Andy Griffith on why he didn't like to attend fan conventions

Griffith didn't like to dwell.

May 17, 2024, 10:31AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

It's no good to dwell on the past. Nostalgia's all well and good, but there's no progress in reliving the memories of yesterday. To have a future, you need to focus on the present.

In an interview with the Charlotte Observer, Andy Griffith said the eight years he spent on The Andy Griffith Show were the best of his life. In those eight years, he made television history and formed friendships that would last a lifetime.

"We're friends. Oh my God, yes," Griffith said of The Andy Griffith Show cast. "We will always remain friends. You know, you do a show and you like somebody and you say, 'Let's get together,' and you mean it. And you never do. But all of us guys spent all day long together for years. And years and years. And we all know an enormous amount about one another. And so we feel a closeness because of that. And we have influenced one another's lives because of those times we spent together."

Still, Griffith was careful to make sure he and his friends didn't get so caught up in reminiscing that they didn't have a career ahead of them. While he expressed appreciation for fan organizations of the show that dedicated their time to watching the series, you usually wouldn't catch Griffith himself catching a rerun of an episode or attending a fan convention for the series.

Like Return to Mayberry, if the actor were to revisit the series, it would have to be for something of superb quality.

"I'm a performer," he said. "I'm an entertainer. And I can't go down to somewhere and be a part of some sloppy show. I'm not going to do that...I can't just get out there and 'Aw shucks' myself. That ain't entertainment."