Jim Nabors was born in 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama, and was the youngest of three children. His rural upbringing would later help him shape his most beloved TV character, Gomer Pyle. Nabors had severe asthma as a child, which kept him away from more rough-and-tumble activities and strenuous athletics. His parents didn't have much money, so they couldn't afford for young Jim's respiratory issues to flare up too seriously. Instead, Nabors turned to the performing arts as an outlet. He joined his school's glee club and choir and took up playing the clarinet.
Once he reached college, Nabors continued to perform and started acting. His acting debut came in the form of his fraternity's skit show. Surprisingly enough, Nabors never majored in theater or any other performing arts when he attended the University of Alabama. Seeing acting as more of a fun hobby, Nabors earned his B.A. in business administration.
According to Biography.com, Nabors admitted that he never really saw himself as a real actor and never imagined he would have a career as a performer: "I was from a small town and, God knows, I was no leading man. You know how Hollywood was back then — everybody was a 'hero.' The only thing I could possibly think of was I could have been a character actor in a Western or something. I never had any thoughts of going into the business."
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