Howard: Obama has Mayberry spirit

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:19:57 -0400

Ron Howard says Barack Obama represents the Mayberry spirit.

In a phone interview with Dome, the former "Andy Griffith Show" actor and Hollywood director said that he decided to use his past to make a Web video for Obama because this election is "a really crucial moment" for Americans.

"I've never done anything like it at all," he said. "(I've) never been outspokenly supportive. Once in a while, might answer the question honestly if someone put it to me in the past, and sometimes I avoid it. But I had this idea."

He said he mentioned it to producer Judd Apatow, who referred him to Adam McKay, cofounder of the "Funny or Die" Web site. McKay and a group of writers drafted the script, while Howard talked Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler.

"I knew that Andy was a Democrat, but I wasn't even sure how he stood on the presidential race because we hadn't talked in months and months," he said. "When I broached the subject, he was excited."

Griffith's part was filmed in the woods near his Manteo home, while Howard took time off from shooting "Angels and Demons" to film his on a Los Angeles backlot. The two were brought together with special effects.

Putting on a striped shirt and hairpiece, Howard said "definitely took me back."

For audio of the interview, click here.

More after the jump.