Though he’s played many talented, capable characters in his day, no two Andy Griffith roles were made exactly alike. As an actor, Griffith preferred to diversify his filmography. By constantly seeking new roles and personalities, Griffith was able to keep himself busy and challenged as an actor.

To Griffith, each role served a different purpose on television. During an interview with Knight-Ridder, Griffith said that Sheriff Taylor of The Andy Griffith Show was used in the series as a “straight man” in a sea of quirky characters.

“Andy Griffith playing Andy Taylor served a lot of purposes,” said the actor. “He had a lot of functions and a lot of jobs, some of which viewers may not have recognized. 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.”

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By contrast, Sheriff Taylor was a shining testament to integrity; Griffith’s later role of Ben Matlock was a stark contrast.

“The character of Ben Matlock is not like [Andy Taylor] at all,” said Griffith. “Everybody plays straight for Ben Matlock. Ben Matlock is really off the wall. I’ve just let this character develop over seven years to where he is. He’s a very amusing man, Ben Matlock is."

Ben Matlock was also quite different from Griffith’s personality in real life.

“As an actor, I get inside,” said Griffith. “Ben Matlock doesn’t get inside me; I get inside Ben Matlock and make Ben Matlock do what I want him to do. Things that I could never do in my life. Because I’m not vain, I’m not cheap. And I’m not really bright. But I can cause this man to do anything I want him to. I can do it with my pencil. And I can do it with my mind. And I can do it with my acting. And it’s a great power. Because I’ve created a person who actually lives and breathes and is this person.”