Frances Bavier
Frances Bavier (
December 14,
1902 –
December 6,
1989) was an
American character actress, best remembered for her role as
Aunt Bee on
The Andy Griffith Show in the 1960s. She played the same role on
Mayberry R.F.D.(1968-70). A convincing actress, nobody seemed to notice or care that the New York-born Bavier did not speak with a Southern accent, as some of the other characters did. Her role of Aunt Bee earned her an Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actress in 1967 making her one of only two cast members on the show to win an Emmy Award (
Don Knotts is the other}.
In addition to her years in Mayberry, Bavier performed on
Broadway and in more than a dozen films, as well playing a range of supporting roles on television. Career highlights include the play
Point of No Return, alongside
Henry Fonda, and her turn as Mrs. Barley in the classic 1951 film,
The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Bavier's career illustrates the paradox facing many strongly "typed" performers. Audiences took at face value her portrayal of a warm, nurturing matron, but co-workers and others who interacted with her reportedly often found her cool and distant.
Bavier, who was born in
New York City, bought a home in
Siler City, North Carolina sight unseen in 1972 and lived the rest of her life there. "I fell in love with North Carolina, all the pretty roads and the trees", she said in an interview.
Bavier and
Andy Griffith did not get along well, over which Bavier was reportedly regretful on her death bed. Her medical condition prevented her from taking part in the 1986
Return to Mayberry movie. [
1]
Having suffered from both
heart disease and
cancer, Bavier died of a
heart attack in 1989 at her home in Siler City, just eight days before her 87th birthday.
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* http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1457
