I was baptized alongside my mother when I was 8 years old. Since then, I have tried to walk a Christian life... And now that I'm getting older, I realized that I'm walking even closer with my God.

I'm not really wise. But I can be cranky.

I am proud of my connections to Carolina and pleased to know that some results from a lifetime of work on television, film, stage and recordings will have a permanent home in Chapel Hill.

When a man carries a gun all the time, the respect he thinks he's getting might really be fear. So I don't carry a gun because I don't want the people of Mayberry to fear a gun. I'd rather they respect me.

If you think and feel what you're supposed to think and feel, hard enough, it'll come out through your eyes - and the camera will see it.

I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before.

I still play that guitar. It's a Martin D-18 with a clear pick guard. I've played that guitar on and off my TV shows for nearly 50 years.