Jim Nabors Marries Stan Cadwallader: Gay 'Andy Griffith Show' Gomer Pyle Actor Marries Longtime Male Partner

Jim Nabors, best known for his role as Gomer Pyle on the 1960s television series The Andy Griffith Show, married his longtime male partner, Stan Cadwallader in Seattle, Washington. The 82-year-old actor and his 64-year-old new husband have been together for 38 years prior to their marriage. Last month, gay marriage became legal in the state of Washington.

Nabors met Stan Cadwallader in Hawaii where Cadwallader was a Honolulu firefighter in 1975. The actor has always been open with the subject of his sexuality but has always been a private man, so not many people knew of his relationship with Cadwallader over their 38 year partnership. Living together in Hawaii, where gay marriage is not legal, the couple had been content out of the prying eye of the public for almost 4 decades. When the state of Washington passed the law to legalize gay marriage, Nabors and Cadwallader did not make any huge plans or announcements about marriage of any sort. Again, very few people even knew about Nabors' relationship with Cadwallader at all. The couple simply boarded a plane to Seattle and got married in a hotel room. The ceremony was officiated by a judge in said hotel room.

When asked about his relationship and marriage, Jim Nabors only gave brief answers all surrounding the fact that he is incredibly happy. Nabors has also stated that he does not intend to get involved in the issue of gay marriage or anything of the sort. He is just going to focus on his new marriage and continue to enjoy his happiness with Stan Cadwallader. 

While playing the role of Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and his various other projects during his career, Nabors says he never hid his sexuality from anyone. Pyle, the beloved gas station attendant, known for his iconic " Well, gollll-ly" catchphrase, was a staple of early television history and continues to influence television character tropes to this day. The neighborhood dunce with the heart of gold is clearly still around in many shows today. Nabors' acting made him a household name and allowed for him to even star in his own spin-off show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., where the character of Gomer becomes a Marine recruit. This show lasted 5 seasons with marginal success. Jim Nabors does have a Twitter account (@JimTNabors) but has not used the social network for this personal announcement since he is such a private man.