Frances Bavier ''didn't really appreciate'' her role, according to this co-star

However, she embraced the role later in life.

January 3, 2025, 9:08AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Aunt Bee was Mayberry's true conscience. Andy was certainly a morally forthright role model, but as sheriff, he was a representative of the law. While he and Barney set criminals straight and led by example, Aunt Bee quietly lived a life serving her community. Bee, after all, stayed in Mayberry after Andy left town. She stuck around for Mayberry R.F.D. and spent more time teaching young Opie lessons than anyone else. She was a good woman, and her commitment to her town outlasted her nephew's tenure as a lawman.

In truth, the actor who played Aunt Bee, Frances Bavier, may not have noticed how important she was in the first show and its spinoff. To hear it from a co-star in Mayberry R.F.D., Bavier did not fully recognize herself as the center of Mayberry.

In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Ken Berry, who played Mayberry R.F.D.'s Sam Jones, discussed his more famous co-star and gave his thoughts on the Matron of Mayberry.

“Frances, I liked her so much,” said Berry. “She was this actress and I think that she wanted to be known the way some of her contemporaries were known, as this theatrical actress, you know? But she had gotten this job playing Aunt Bee and became famous for it.”

Here, Berry implies that The Andy Griffith Show and its sequel series were not what Bavier worked so hard for in her career. Despite efforts to attain mature, critically adored theatrical roles, Bavier may have felt she came up short. Her role was on a a very popular show, but may not have been what she wanted.

“She didn’t really appreciate it that much, I don’t think” Berry added. “Until later on in life and then she capitalized on it, you know, she had fun with it. But she always probably wanted to be a more serious actress.

“She was a very nice lady and very sweet. I loved her.”