Success is often like a garden; you won't immediately see the fruits of your labor. But if you're patient and work hard, you'll soon be able to enjoy everything you've toiled away for. At least, that's the truth that we all hope for.

Although Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. was a barrel of laughs for viewers, that doesn't mean it was an easygoing show to shoot, particularly for an actor like Jim Nabors.

Nabors was the star of the series, the Gomer Pyle in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and was constantly needed on set. While being the star of your own television series sounds like a dream come true, Nabors reminded viewers of the tough reality necessary to make that dream come true.

"For eight months a year on Gomer, I was up at five in the morning every day," said Nabors during an interview with the Dayton Daily News. "My work wasn't like Jim Arness, in Gunsmoke, where he comes in two days a week. Or Fred MacMurray on My Three Sons. I was in every shot."

But even with his hectic work schedule, Nabors wouldn't allow himself to rest for a moment. During breaks in television, Nabors busied himself with stage performances for some extra income.

"For the first few years of the show I didn't trust my success," said Nabors. Every weekend and on every vacation, I would take off to play night clubs and concerts, figuring the whole thing would blow over someday."

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So hesitant was Nabors to buy into his success that he was often suspicious of the public's love for him. "You know somethin'? I still find it difficult to believe this kind of acceptance," he said. "I still don't trust it."

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