List of the Andy Griffith Show characters - wikipedia List of the Andy Griffith Show characters The following is a list of characters of The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom television series, starring Andy Griffith. The series ran for eight seasons on CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Main Character Seasons No. of episodes Actor Brief description Andy Taylor 1 -- 8 249 Andy Griffith Sheriff of Mayberry ; father ( widower ) of Opie Opie Taylor 1 -- 8 203 Ronny Howard Son of Andy Taylor Barney Fife 1 -- 5 6 - 8 as guest 141 Don Knotts Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry Aunt Bee 1 -- 8 175 Frances Bavier Andy 's paternal aunt Sheriff Andrew Jackson `` Andy '' Taylor is Sheriff and Justice of the Peace of Mayberry. He is genial, good - natured and endears himself to the townsfolk with an air of good will, polite charm and keeps the peace by using common sense. He refuses to wear a gun or formalize his uniform with a tie, as he feels a relaxed image makes him more approachable. Andy is a widower with a young son, Opie, and tries to raise him with good sense and good values. Also in his home is his paternal Aunt Bee who arrives in the home shortly after the previous housekeeper, Rose, marries and moves away. Although a widower, Andy has a steady string of girlfriends, but his longest - lasting relationship is with Helen Crump, Opie 's teacher, whom he eventually marries, moves out of Mayberry with, becomes a U.S. Postal Inspector, and moves back to Mayberry and runs for Sheriff. Opie Taylor is the son of Andy Taylor and his late wife. A good - hearted, normal little boy ( about six when the series began ), most of Opie 's lessons come from his close relationship with his father and his Great Aunt Bee. He is not prone to get into trouble and spends a great deal of time around the jail. At one point, Aunt Bee considers this to be a bad influence, and when Opie runs away from home briefly, she relents and allows him to visit the jail after school on a conditional basis. Barney and Gomer Pyle Deputy Bernard Milton `` Barney '' Fife is Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry. Thin, wiry and high - strung, Barney fancies himself an expert lawman even though -- in reality -- he is actually a bumbling goof. In episodes 001 and 002, Andy refers to him as `` Cousin Barney ''. In episode 025, his middle name is said to be `` Oliver '' ; in episode 082, his middle name according to his high school yearbook is `` Milton '', in episode 157 ( season 5 ) his middle initial is repeated as `` P ''. He considers his position to be essential to keeping Mayberry safe. Even though the town has very little crime, he dubs the town : `` Mayberry, Gateway to Danger ''. Andy keeps Barney 's crime - fighting shenanigans to a reasonable level, but tries to never step on his ego. For safety reasons, he only allows Barney to carry one bullet, which he keeps in his shirt pocket until needed. Often, when the bullet is employed, Barney accidentally shoots the bullet into the floor, narrowly missing his own foot. Like Andy, he has a steady stream of girlfriends, but his longest lasting relationship is with Thelma Lou. In episode 028, Barney has just met Thelma Lou at the `` Junction Diner ''. In season five, he takes a job as a detective in Raleigh, leaving Mayberry, but returns in seasons six through eight for guest appearances. Beatrice `` Aunt Bee '' Taylor is Andy 's paternal aunt. Aunt Bee is a spinster in her late - 50s who raised Andy. She was living alone in West Virginia when Andy invited her to come to live with him and Opie, after their housekeeper Rose got married and moved away. Aunt Bee is a motherly figure who takes the place of Opie 's late mother and dotes over the boy, caring for his welfare and taking care of Andy as well. She is prominent in town, a respected lady who spends her time helping with social functions and church events. She is prone to spend time with her friends gossiping about the town 's citizens. Recurring Name Seasons No. of episodes Played by Brief character summary Goober Pyle 4 -- 8 86 George Lindsey Auto mechanic and cousin of Gomer Pyle ( Called Goober Beasley in Season 5 Episode 23 `` TV or Not TV '' ) Floyd Lawson 1 -- 7 80 Howard McNear The barber Helen Crump 3 -- 8 66 Aneta Corsaut School teacher and Andy 's girlfriend in later episodes Howard Sprague 6 -- 8 37 Jack Dodson The milquetoast county clerk Otis Campbell 1 -- 7 32 Hal Smith The town drunk who lets himself into the jail to sleep it off Clara Edwards 1 -- 8 31 Hope Summers aka Clara Johnson, Bertha Edwards ; a widow who is Aunt Bee 's best friend Thelma Lou 1 -- 6 26 Betty Lynn Barney 's girlfriend. Her last name was never revealed. Gomer Pyle 3 -- 4 23 Jim Nabors Dim - witted mechanic at Wally 's Filling Station ; a deputy when needed ; joins the United States Marine Corps Emmett Clark 8 16 Paul Hartman Fix - it shop owner / operator Ellie Walker 12 Elinor Donahue Andy 's first girlfriend of the series ; pharmacist at drug store Johnny Paul Jason 3 -- 6 11 Richard Keith Opie 's best friend Deputy Warren Ferguson 6 11 Jack Burns Floyd 's nephew ; replaces Barney Mayor Pike 1 -- 2 11 Dick Elliott Mayor of Mayberry Judd Fletcher 1 -- 7 8 Burt Mustin Elderly citizen of Mayberry Mayor Roy Stoner 7 Parley Baer Mayor of Mayberry Briscoe Darling 3 -- 7 6 Denver Pyle Head of The Darlings Charlene Darling 3 -- 7 5 Maggie Peterson Briscoe Darling 's daughter. Had a crush on Andy. Reverend Hobart M. Tucker 3 -- 8 6 William Keene Pastor of All Souls Church The Darling Boys 3 -- 7 6 The Dillards Musical brothers played by real - life bluegrass band Ben Weaver 1 -- 8 6 Will Wright / Tol Avery Miserly old landlord and department store owner Emma Watson 1 -- 2 6 Cheerio Meredith aka Emma Brand Ernest T. Bass 3 -- 6 5 Howard Morris A troublemaking mountain man Asa Breeney 3 -- 5 5 Charles P. Thompson The elderly ( always sleeping ) Mayberry Bank guard John Masters 2 -- 5 5 Olan Soule Choir director and hotel manager Leon 2 -- 4 5 Clint Howard Toddler in a cowboy outfit Peggy McMillan Joanna Moore Andy 's girlfriend and nurse Sam Jones 8 Ken Berry Widowed farmer Rafe Hollister 2 -- 3 Jack Prince Local farmer and moonshiner Wally 6 Norman Leavitt ( 2 ) Trevor Bardette Cliff Norton Owner of the filling station where Gomer and later Goober work Martha Clark 8 Mary Lansing Emmett 's wife Trey Bowden David Alan Bailey Opie 's friend Daphne 3 -- 5 Jean Carson One of `` The Fun Girls '' Skippy 3 -- 5 Joyce Jameson The other `` Fun Girl '' Malcolm Merriweather 3 -- 6 Bernard Fox English valet Hilda Mae Florence MacMichael Girlfriend of Barney in season 1, replaced by Thelma Lou. Minor Characters Name No. Of episodes Played by Brief character summary Rose Mary Treen Rose Was Opie 's first house keeper and care take who got married and moved away, ( appeared in the pilot episode and two others ) The Andy Griffith Show Characters Episodes Guest stars Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Mayberry R.F.D. Return to Mayberry Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_The_Andy_Griffith_Show_characters&oldid=838413035 '' Categories : Lists of actors by comedy television series Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 26 April 2018, at 21 : 08 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who played opie's friends on the andy griffith show
Answer: Richard Keith