Floyd Lawson

Floyd Lawson (Floyd the Barber) is a fictional character on the American sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Floyd was primarily portrayed by actor Howard McNear. Character overview Floyd the Barber was the slow-paced, somewhat absent-minded barber in the series' fictional town of Mayberry. He was born and raised in Mayberry, having descended from one of the town's original settlers, Daniel Lawson. He was a founding member of the town band, served as secretary of the Downtown Businessman's Club, and is a member of The Regal Order of the Golden Door to Good Fellowship. Floyd has one son, Norman, with his wife, Melba. Other family members mentioned throughout the run of the show include niece Virginia Lee. Floyd's nephew, Warren Ferguson, served as town deputy for a time. Lamar Tuttle is also mentioned as Floyd's cousin. Floyd is first introduced in the first-season episode "Stranger in Town" and is played by actor Walter Baldwin. Baldwin established the running gag of Floyd's inability to trim sideburns evenly, which continued throughout the run of the series. Baldwin portrayed Floyd for just one episode, and the character otherwise differed from the later version, with most of the jokes stemming from the bespectacled Floyd's barely being able to see. From January, 1961 on, the role was played by Howard McNear, the actor most commonly associated with the role.