Talk about your classic TV characters. Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber on The Andy Griffith Show, also played one in another show. McNear did show up as a barber on Leave It to Beaver. Maybe it was a little foreshadowing before he landed the Floyd Lawson role on the CBS sitcom. Still, the fact that he appeared in these two sitcom greats is worth taking a look at these days.
McNear plays Andy the barber (foreshadowing a bit, as we said?) in a 1958 episode. Now the role is just a bit one, not much to it. The episode was more focused on Wally, played by Tony Dow, and Eddie Haskell, played by Ken Osmond. So, Eddie gets a little bummed when watching Wally really show out at a football game. Our man Haskell didn’t like being shown up so he decides to yack about how he’s shaving these days.
Howard McNear of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Also Starred In Radio Show
This leads Wally to grab Ward’s razor and give it a whirl. Well, that goes rather badly as he’s nicked up a bit. The episode ends up with going inside a barber shop. That’s where we see Andy the barber, according to MeTV. We’re not through with McNear just yet. But go watch him in this role and even one from I Love Lucy. When you see McNear, well, we double-dog-dare you not to think about him as Floyd. It’s impossible.
Before getting his gig with The Andy Griffith Show, the actor was a big talent on the radio. We turn our dials to find him playing Doc Adams on the radio version of Gunsmoke. Doc would be written up reportedly in honor of Charles Addams, a cartoonist who is best connected with The Addams Family. Cranky Doc would end up being a bit warmer than originally thought. TV viewers know that Milburn Stone played Doc for many seasons on the CBS Western.
Back to McNear for a minute. Everyone loved the character and, from all people in the know, so did the actor. Still, he would suffer a serious health setback. McNear had a stroke that affected his ability to stand. This was back in 1963 and you can see Floyd sitting a lot in later episodes. They would work up something on the show’s set to help him stay active on the show. While the actor might have thought about quitting, the cast and crew still wanted him around. That’s why all of the adjustments and changes were made. Sadly, McNear would leave in 1967 and die in 1969. Sitcom fans have grown up seeing the actor and he’s quite beloved.Outsider.com
