The Andy Griffith Show actor George Lindsey has died at the age of 83. The comedian passed away in Nashville, Tennessee early on Sunday after battling a brief illness.
Lindsey shot to fame as the slow-witted Goober Beasley on U.S. TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show in the 1960s. His character was soon renamed Goober Pyle and he became known for his hilariously bad impression of Cary Grant and his outrageous Goober Dance, keeping up the antics for the comedy’s successor Mayberry R.F.D., which ran until 1971.
He went on to portray the same type of character for country music variety show Hee Haw, on which he starred until its cancellation in 1993.
Lindsey also landed roles on other small screen projects, including CHiPs, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, M*A*S*H, Twilight Zone and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, while he used his vocal talent on animated Disney films like The Aristocats and Robin Hood.
Paying tribute to his old castmate, Andy Griffith says in a statement:
“George Lindsey was my friend. I had great respect for his talent and his human spirit. In recent years, we spoke often by telephone. Our last conversation was a few days ago… I am happy to say that as we found ourselves in our eighties, we were not afraid to say, ‘I love you.’ That was the last thing George and I had to say to each other. ‘I love you.’”
How sad.
