Among comedy fans of the world, he was arguably best known for his portrayal of Col. Edward Gray on The Andy Griffith Show’s spinoff Gomer Pyle: USMC, a role he held for all five seasons of the show.
He also showed up on the other Andy Griffith spinoff, Mayberry R.F.D., as yet another character, and also. had a few memorable appearances on Hogan’s Heroes.
(He also portrayed a handful of other characters during the earliest days of Gomer Pyle’s first season.)
While his acting career wasn’t the most prolific for someone his age, Forrest Compton definitely managed to craft some memorable roles over the decades.