![]() He died of lung cancer at age 81 on February 24, 2006, with his family – and old friend Andy Griffith – by his side. “When Don joined the company,” Griffith told the Television Academy Foundation (TAF) in 1998, “the second episode was called ‘Manhunt,’ and I knew by that episode that Don should be the comic and I should play it straight for him and that made all the difference.”Ī natural comic, Knotts stole every scene in the 1960s show and on his second-most memorable television series, Three’s Company, as goofy landlord Mr. He would go on to earn five Emmy awards for his iconic role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the series. Jesse Donald Knotts was born on July 21, 1924, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Knotts was considered by many Griffith Show fans – and Griffith himself – as the heart and soul of the classic comedy. Griffith died on July 3, 2012, of a heart attack at age 86.ĭON KNOTTS ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ actor Don Knotts | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images The courtroom drama debuted in 1986 and injected new life into Griffith’s career. ![]() I think of you often, and I won’t be such a stranger from here out,” he said at the ceremony “dedicating an eleven-mile stretch of US Highway 52 in his honor,” author Daniel de Visé wrote in Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show.Īfter the Griffith Show ended in 1968, its star would face numerous challenges finding another series as successful as his first. ![]() While for many years the actor would reject claims of his birthplace in any way resembling the Griffith Show’s Mayberry, he embraced the notion as he entered his 70s. (left to right): Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, and Frances Bavier of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ | CBS via Getty Imagesįind out which cast members are still alive, as well as a few other details about the unforgettable cast that gave the town of Mayberry its heart.ĪNDY GRIFFITH Actor Andy Griffith in 1992 | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Imagesīorn Andy (not Andrew) Samuel Griffith on June 1, 1926, the future star would throughout his life have conflicting feelings about the hometown in which he was born: Mount Airy, North Carolina. Over 60 years later, the classic show regularly continues to capture new generations of viewers. Without question one of the most enduring comedies in television history, The Andy Griffith Show boasted a top-notch cast of actors including Griffith himself, Don Knotts, and Ron Howard who infused their characters with folksy likeability and personality.
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