Ken Berry said Frances Bavier didn’t appreciate her TAGS character until later in life

Berry loved Frances Bavier and believed that once she appreciated being Aunt Bee, she was able to have fun with the role.

Before he was Vinton Harper on Mama’s Family, Ken Berry was Sam Jones on Mayberry R.F.D and a few episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. Since the actor became a Mayberry citizen, he got to know more about Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Frances Bavier.

He even became a part of Griffith’s inner circle and took hunting trips with the actor whenever he appeared on Mayberry R.F.D to help with the show’s ratings.

We all know Frances Bavier as the loveable Aunt Bee, and she was known for being honest about how she felt about the role.

In fact, Ken Berry said he thought the actress didn’t appreciate her Andy Griffith Show character until later in life. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Berry talked about Bavier and why it took her awhile to appreciate the role.

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

It’s common for actors to take on roles that aren’t usually what they’d go for, especially when opportunities become limited in the industry.

However, when you become known for that role, it can take you through various emotions. You don’t want to be ungrateful, but you wish you were known for something better, and it seemed like that’s how Frances Bavier felt.

“And she didn’t really appreciate it that much, I don’t think, until later on in life. And then she capitalized on it. You know, she had fun with it. But she probably always wanted to be a more serious actress. She was a very nice lady and very sweet…I loved her,” he added.

Perhaps the love Bavier received made her feel that there was no one better for the role of Aunt Bee than her. She brought the part to life and was just as successful as her peers.