If not for a minor quirk of fate, actor Jim Nabors might never have landed the role of Gomer Pyle, the character that established him as a lovable, one-of-a-kind TV star on The Andy Griffith Show in the 1960s.
Nabors just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It altered the course of his career and gave him a lucky break that he never forgot. And it brought Jim Nabors into our living rooms for many happy years of entertainment!
Jim Nabors Was A Straggler At One of Andy Griffith’s Parties
The Two Actors Had Not Met Previously
According to MeTV, Jim Nabors attended a social get-together at Andy Griffith’s home. The two actors did not know each other at that point. Nabors was there because he accompanied another invitee.
You know the antsy feeling you get when you are the host and the last guest at a party hangs around and way overstays their welcome? And you can’t ease them out the door fast enough? Well, that sounds exactly like what occurred at Griffith’s party that night.
Griffith’s Interest Is Piqued
After Griffith Saw Nabors Perform, He Wanted Him For His TV Show
According to MeTV via the Dayton Daily News, Griffith recalled, “[Nabors] was the last one to leave and I asked my wife why he was there in the first place. Then somebody talked me into going down to the club where he was appearing on one of those continuous entertainment for very little money deals.”
