Life isn't always the way it seems on television, and while Perry Mason makes the life of a defense lawyer seem particularly serious, behind the scenes, Raymond Burr had an excellent sense of humor.

Burr played Mason for four roughly nine years on the series, returning after the television show had wrapped to play the character in television films including Perry Mason Returns and Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun. Constantly beside him was Barbara Hale, who played Della Street, Mason's legal secretary.

As someone who got to know Burr both as a costar and a friend, Hale confirmed to The Journal News that while he was an excellent actor, Burr wasn't too similar to the character he played on television. Hale confirmed that the actor had quite a devious sense of humor. "Raymond is not the sedate character he plays on TV," said Hale.

"Actually, he's always playing practical jokes on others in the cast and on the crew. I had a reputation for being late for rehearsals and one day, on some pretext, he presented me with a box of beautiful roses. As everyone watched me open it, six white mice jumped out of the box."

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Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale were still close friends before Burr's death in 1993

Jokes aside, Hale said that Burr's lighthearted demeanor kept spirits up on the set of Perry Mason. "Everyone was always relaxed as we made segment after segment of the series because Raymond Burr made it such a pleasure for all of us," she said. "I worked with Raymond Burr in Perry Mason for nine and a half years. It was a wonderful group of people to work with. During all that time we had a turnover of only ten to twelve people because everyone had so much fun doing the show."

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