Ron Howard’s ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Experience Featured Adult Problems and Ugliness
Ron Howard is grateful for his stint on The Andy Griffith Show, but it wasn’t all peaches and cream. The now-67-year-old filmmaker/actor admits he had some bad experiences during his time as the young Opie Taylor. They included exposure to vulgar language, explicit images, and homophobia. It’s a surprising revelation about the wholesome 1960s sitcom.
The set of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ exposed Ron Howard to offensive language, sexual images, and alcohol
From the age of 6, Howard portrayed Opie, the son of Mayberry Sheriff Andy Taylor, on The Andy Griffith Show. As a boy, he was exposed to plenty of swearing from the cast and crew on the set. He writes in his new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, that they all swore like sailors and made no move to censor themselves, including their language or topics they discussed on set.
Howard even saw explicit drawings on the walls of the set’s bathroom. His father explained to him that some men liked to draw images like that but that Howard should never draw them himself.
Not only was he exposed to vulgar language and images, but he would also spend time on set with a crew that drank to excess. It was common that some would get sloshed by noon, he reveals. Plus, because it was the ’60s, almost the entire crew often smoked on set. Howard says his eyes often burned from the smoke in the air.
Howard also witnessed adults’ prejudices and problems
Though the cast and crew of The Andy Griffith Show were nice to Howard, they didn’t show the same kindness to everyone else on set. One cast member, Jim Nabors, who played Gomer Pyle, was gay, though he didn’t officially come out until 2013. Some of the crew called him homophobic slurs when his back was turned, and they never tried to sugarcoat their prejudices in front of Howard.
He also witnessed co-stars Andy Griffith and Don Knotts go through tough times in their marriages. The two actors talked about their marital issues with each other, and Howard often got an earful. Both men were seeing therapists at the time and discussed those sessions while Howard was within earshot.
He also saw some of Griffith’s worst moments. One Christmas break, the show’s star returned with a bandaged hand. When questioned, he told everyone he had gotten drunk, became enraged, and punched a hole in a door.
But not all of Howard’s experiences on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ were bad
Though filming The Andy Griffith Show exposed Howard to many adult themes, he also experienced good moments. One memory that stands out was the compassion and support the crew extended to cast member Howard McNear, who played Floyd the Barber, Closer Weekly reports.
In the third season, McNear had a stroke that affected his ability to stand. It nearly ended McNear’s time on the show, but Griffith didn’t want the actor to lose his job. So the crew fashioned some clever supports that helped McNear stand during critical scenes.
In the end, Howard doesn’t regret his time playing Opie. The acclaimed filmmaker — who has directed award-winning movies such as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and Cocoon — even credits The Andy Griffith Show and his character for defining his early life. They helped him grow and develop into the man he is today.
