Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal
of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned
him five Emmy Awards.
He also played landlord Ralph Furley on the 1970s and 1980s television sitcom Three's
Company.
In 1996, TV Guide ranked him # 27 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.
Early life Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia,
the son of William Jesse Knotts and his wife, Elsie L. Knotts.
Knotts' paternal ancestors had emigrated from England to America in the 17th century, originally
settling in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.
Knotts' father was a farmer.
William Knotts had a nervous breakdown due to the stress of the fourth child.
This was because Don was born so late in his mother's life; Don's mother was 40 at the
time of his birth.
Afflicted with schizophrenia and alcoholism, he sometimes terrorized his young son with
a knife, causing the boy to turn inward at an early age.
Knotts' father died of pneumonia when Don, the youngest son, was 13 years old.
Don and his three brothers were then raised by their mother, who ran a boarding house
in Morgantown.
Elsie Knotts died in 1969, at age 84.
Her son William Earl Knotts preceded her in death in 1941, at age 31.
They are buried in the family plot at Beverly Hills Memorial Park, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Don Knotts is a sixth cousin of Ron Howard, a co-star on The Andy Griffith Show.
An urban legend claims that Knotts served in the United States Marine Corps during World
War II, serving as a drill instructor at Parris Island.
In reality, Knotts enlisted in the United States Army after graduating from Morgantown
High School and spent most of his service entertaining troops.
Following the war, he attended and graduated from West Virginia University in 1948.
Career Early roles
Knotts earned a bachelor’s degree in 1948 from West Virginia University after returning
from service in World War II.
Knotts began his career performing in many venues, including a ventriloquist act with
a dummy named Danny "Hooch" Matador.
In a TV Guide interview in the 1970s, he spoke about how, when he was in the Army, he was
getting tired of playing straight man for a hunk of wood.
According to Knotts, while on a ship in the South Pacific, he took the dummy topside and
tossed him overboard.
He swore he could hear the dummy calling for help as the ship sailed on, leaving him bobbing
helplessly in the waves.
Knotts got his first major break on television in the soap opera Search for Tomorrow where
he appeared from 1953 to 1955.
He came to fame in 1956 on Steve Allen's variety show, as part of Allen's repertory company,
most notably in Allen's mock "Man in the Street" interviews, always as an extremely nervous
man.
From October 20, 1955 through September 14, 1957, Knotts appeared in the Broadway version
of No Time for Sergeants, in which he played two roles, listed on the playbill as a Corporal
Manual Dexterity and a Preacher.
In 1958, Knotts appeared for the first time on film with Andy Griffith in the film version
of No Time for Sergeants.
In that film, Knotts reprises his Broadway role and plays a high-strung Air Force psychiatrist
whose routine is disrupted by the hijinks of a provincial new recruit.
The Andy Griffith Show
In 1960, when Griffith was offered the opportunity to headline in his own sitcom, The Andy Griffith
Show, Knotts took the role of Barney Fife, the deputy—and originally cousin—of Sheriff
Andy Taylor.
Knotts’ portrayal of the deputy on the popular show earned him five Emmy Awards for Best
Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy, three awards for the first five seasons he played
the character.
A summary of the show from the website of the Museum of Broadcast Communications describes
Deputy Barney Fife:
Self-important, romantic, and nearly always wrong, Barney dreamed of the day he could
use the one bullet Andy had issued to him although he did fire his gun on a few occasions.
He always fired his pistol accidentally while still in his holster or in the ceiling of
the court house, at which point he would sadly hand his pistol to Andy.
This is why Barney kept his one very shiny bullet in his shirt pocket.
In episode # 196 Andy gave Barney more bullets so that he would have a loaded gun to go after
a bad guy that Barney unintentionally helped to escape.
While Barney was forever frustrated that Mayberry was too small for the delusional ideas he
had of himself, viewers got the sense that he couldn't have survived anywhere else.
Don Knotts played the comic and pathetic sides of the character with equal aplomb and he
received three Emmy Awards during the show's first five seasons.
When the show first aired, Griffith was intended to be the comedic lead with Knotts as his
straight man, similar to their roles in No Time for Sergeants.
However, it was quickly discovered that the show was funnier with the roles reversed.
As Griffith maintained in several interviews, "By the second episode, I knew that Don should
be funny, and I should play straight."
Believing earlier remarks made by Griffith, that The Andy Griffith Show would soon be
ending after five seasons, Knotts began to look for other work.
He signed a five-film contract with Universal Studios.
He was caught off guard when Griffith announced he would be continuing with the show after
all, but Knotts’ hands were tied.
In his autobiography, Knotts admitted that he had not yet signed a contract when Griffith
made his decision, but he had made up his mind believing that he would not get this
chance again.
Knotts left the series in 1965.
Within the series, it was announced that Deputy Fife had finally made the "big time", joining
the Raleigh, North Carolina police force.
Post-Mayberry films
Knotts went on to star in a series of film comedies which drew on his high-strung persona
from the TV series: he had a cameo appearance in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and starred
in The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Reluctant Astronaut, The
Shakiest Gun in the West, The Love God? and How to Frame a Figg.
Knotts would, however, return to the role of Barney Fife several times in the 1960s:
he made five more guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, and later appeared once
more on the spin-off Mayberry RFD, where he was present as best man for the marriage of
Andy Taylor and his longtime love, Helen Crump.
After making How to Frame a Figg, Knotts’ 5-film contract with Universal came to an
end.
He continued to work steadily, though he did not appear as a regular on any successful
television series until his appearance on Three's Company in 1979.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Knotts served as the spokesman for Dodge trucks and
was featured prominently in a series of print ads and dealer brochures.
On television, he went on to host an odd-variety show/sitcom hybrid on NBC, The Don Knotts
Show, which aired Tuesdays during the fall of 1970, but the series was low-rated and
short-lived.
He also made frequent guest appearances on other shows such as The Bill Cosby Show and
Here's Lucy.
In 1970, he would also make yet another appearance as Barney Fife, in the pilot of The New Andy
Griffith Show.
In 1972, Knotts would voice an animated version of himself in two memorable episodes of The
New Scooby Doo Movies; one being "The Spooky Fog of Juneberry", in which he played a lawman
who bore a remarkable resemblance to Barney Fife, and the other being "Guess Who's Knott
Coming to Dinner".
He also appeared as Felix Unger in a stage version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple with
Art Carney as Oscar Madison.
Beginning in 1975, Knotts was teamed with Tim Conway in a series of slapstick films
aimed at children, including the Disney film The Apple Dumpling Gang, and its 1979 sequel,
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.
They also did two independent films, a boxing comedy called The Prize Fighter in 1979, and
a mystery comedy film in 1981 called The Private Eyes.
Knotts co-starred in several other Disney films, including 1976's Gus, 1976's No Deposit,
No Return, 1977's Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and 1978's Hot Lead and Cold Feet.
Three’s Company In 1979, Knotts returned to series television
in his second most identifiable role, the wacky-but-lovable landlord Ralph Furley on
Three's Company.
The series, which was already an established hit, added Knotts to the cast when the original
landlords, Helen Roper and her husband Stanley Roper, a married couple played by Audra Lindley
and Norman Fell, respectively, left the show to star in their own short-lived spin-off
series.
Though the role of the outlandish, overdressed, buffoon landlord was originally intended to
be a minor recurring character, Knotts was so funny and lovable as a character who fantasized
that he was an incredibly attractive lothario, that the writers greatly expanded his role.
On set, Knotts easily integrated himself to the already-established cast who were, as
John Ritter put it, "so scared" of Knotts because of his star status when he joined
the cast.
When Suzanne Somers left the show after a contract dispute in 1981, the writers started
giving the material meant for Somers' Crissy to Knotts' Furley.
Knotts remained on the show until it ended in 1984.
The Three's Company script supervisor, Carol Summers, went on to be Knotts’ agent—often
accompanying him to personal appearances.
Later roles In 1986, Don Knotts reunited with Andy Griffith
in the made-for-television film Return to Mayberry, where he reprised his role as Barney
Fife.
In early 1987, Knotts joined the cast of the first-run syndication comedy What a Country!,
playing Principal Bud McPherson for series' remaining 13 episodes.
The sitcom was produced by Martin Rips and Joseph Staretski, who had previously worked
on Three's Company.
In 1988, Knotts joined Andy Griffith in another show, playing the recurring role of pesky
neighbor Les Calhoun on Matlock until 1992.
After his appearances on Matlock ended in 1992, Knotts’ roles became sporadic, including
a cameo in the 1996 film Big Bully as the principal of the high school.
In 1998, Knotts had a small but pivotal role as a mysterious TV repairman in Pleasantville
with Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.
That year, his home town of Morgantown, West Virginia, changed the name of the street formerly
known as South University Avenue to Don Knotts Boulevard on "Don Knotts Day".
Also that day, in a nod to Don's role as Barney Fife, he was also named an honorary deputy
sheriff with the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department.
Later years Knotts was recognized in 2000 with a star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Though he continued to act on stage, much of his film and television work after 2000
was as voice talent.
In 2002, he would appear again with Scooby-Doo in the video game Scooby-Doo!
Night of 100 Frights.
In 2003, Knotts teamed up with Tim Conway again to provide voices for the direct-to-video
children's series, Hermie and Friends which would continue until his death.
In 2005, he was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in Chicken Little, his first Disney
movie since 1979.
On September 12, 2003, Knotts was in Kansas City in a stage version of On Golden Pond
when he received a call from John Ritter's family telling him that his former Three's
Company co-star had died of an aortic dissection that day.
Knotts and his co-stars attended the funeral four days later.
Knotts had appeared with Ritter one final time in a cameo on 8 Simple Rules for Dating
My Teenage Daughter.
It was an episode that paid homage to their earlier TV series.
Knotts was the last Three's Company star to work with Ritter.
During this period of time, macular degeneration in both eyes caused the otherwise robust Knotts
to become virtually blind.
His live appearances on television were few.
In 2005, Knotts parodied his Ralph Furley character while playing a Paul Young variation
in a Desperate Housewives sketch on The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards.
He would parody that part one final time, in his last live-action television appearance,
an episode of That ’70s Show,.
In the show, Knotts played Fez and Jackie's new landlord.
Knotts' final role was in Air Buddies, the 2006 direct-to-video sequel to Air Bud, voicing
the sheriff's deputy dog, Sniffer.
Personal life
Knotts was married three times: Kathryn Metz
Loralee Czuchna Frances Yarborough
He had a son, Thomas Knotts, and a daughter, actress Karen Knotts, from his first marriage.
Death Don Knotts died on February 24, 2006, at the
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California from pulmonary and respiratory
complications to pneumonia related to lung cancer.
He had been undergoing treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the months before his death,
but had gone home after he reportedly had been feeling better.
His long-time friend, Andy Griffith, visited Knotts’ bedside just hours before his death.
Knotts' wife and daughter stayed with him until he died.
He was buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Knotts’ obituaries cited him as a major influence on other entertainers.
His statue stands in Morgantown, West Virginia in a memorial park on Don Knotts Boulevard.
Filmography Film
No Time for Sergeants Wake Me When It's Over
The Last Time I Saw Archie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Move Over, Darling The Incredible Mr. Limpet
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken The Reluctant Astronaut
Rowan & Martin at the Movies The Shakiest Gun in the West
The Love God?
How to Frame a Figg Dinah Shore: In Search of the Ideal Man TV
The Apple Dumpling Gang No Deposit, No Return
Gus Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
Hot Lead and Cold Feet The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
The Prize Fighter The Private Eyes
Cannonball Run II Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night
Precious Moments Christmas: Timmy's Gift - Titus Comic Relief VII himself
Big Bully Cats Don't Dance - T.W.
Pleasantville Tom Sawyer - Mutt Potter
Quints - governor Chicken Little
Air Buddies Television
Search for Tomorrow The Steve Allen Show
The Gary Moore Show himself McHale's Navy as Lt. Pratt
The Joey Bishop Show The Red Skelton Show,
The Andy Griffith Show The New Steve Allen Show
The Jerry Lewis Show himself 38th Academy Awards himself co-presenter
The Don Knotts Special himself host/performer The Hollywood Palace himself
The Don Knotts Show The Man Who Came to Dinner
The New Scooby-Doo Movies 2 episodes himself The Flip Wilson Show himself
I Love a Mystery Here's Lucy
The Hollywood Squares Steve Allen's Laugh Back
The Muppet Show Fantasy Island
The Love Boat Three's Company
The Little Troll Prince George Burns Comedy Week himself
Return to Mayberry Matlock
What a Country Newhart
Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Andy Griffith Show Reunion himself
Burke's Law 1 episode 1994 Step by Step
101 Dalmatians: The Series E! True Hollywood Story
Late Night with Conan O'Brien himself Jingle Bells
Quints Inside TV Land: The Andy Griffith Show himself
Biography TV Documentary Biography John Ritter: In Good Company
Inside TV Land: Cops on Camera himself Hermie: A Common Caterpillar
Odd Job Jack 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter
Larry King Live himself The Andy Griffith Show Reunion Back to Mayberry
Hermie and Friends TV Lands Top Ten 1 episode himself
Johnny Bravo, episode "Johnny Makeover" That 70s Show
Las Vegas The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards
Robot Chicken himself Hatching Chicken Little himself
CMT: The Greatest - 20 Greatest Country Comedy Shows himself
Video Games Scooby-Doo!
Night of 100 Frights References
Further reading The Andy Griffith Show from the Museum of
Broadcast Communications "Emmy-winning comic actor Don Knotts dies
at 81".
Reuters. 25 February 2006.
Estrada, Louie.
"Don Knotts, TV's Barney Fife, Dies".
Washington Post.
Retrieved May 1, 2010.
"Don Knotts, Actor Known As Shaky Deputy, Dies at 81".
The New York Times.
February 26, 2006.
Heffernan, Virginia.
"Don Knotts, Ever Proud to Be a Bumbler".
The New York Times.
Retrieved May 1, 2010.
Klin, Richard.
"Fife and Drum."
Flagpole, 2006.
External links
Don Knotts at the Internet Movie Database Don Knotts at the Internet Broadway Database
Don Knotts at the TCM Movie Database "Don Knotts".
Find a Grave.
Retrieved August 30, 2010.
Full Archive of American Television Interview with Don Knotts in July, 1999
Urban legend about Knotts serving as a Drill Instructor