A sense of humor can be a wonderful thing, but not every situation calls for jokes. To be honest, have you ever heard someone crack a joke at the DMV or during a final exam? Laughter is certainly the best medicine, but there are some situations that are simply not a laughing matter.
George Lindsey knew this to be true, as he led a seemingly Superman-esque double life as both teacher and comedian. In an interview with the Quad-City Times, Lindsey recalled his life before his comedy career, and before he became Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show.
Previously, Lindsey worked as a teacher in Alabama. However, Lindsey was a far cry from Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society; in fact, it seemed like the students resented him a bit for being so stern. According to Lindsey, his severe nature was actually born from nervousness. “I was so afraid of being funny, I was very strict.”
Lindsey only taught for a year, which he said was “enough.”
“I was the only teacher in school who didn’t get a Christmas card,” Lindsey revealed.
Luckily, Lindsey changed career paths after his short stint in education, but the experience gave him a deep appreciation for teachers. “Teachers have to be the most dedicated people in the world,” the actor said.
Even though education wasn’t Lindsey’s calling, while he made for a pretty serious teacher, he was actually a pretty funny student during his time in school. “I always wanted to be an actor,” Lindsey said. “I was the silliest boy in school. Acting is what I was put on this earth to do.”
