Andy Griffith and Don Knotts were great friends not just on the screen, but also behind the cameras. The two had fantastic chemistry together and have both fondly reflected on their friendship when questioned about it. All you have to do if you want to see their great connection is to watch how Knott makes Griffith laugh during their shows together, it’s immediately clear that they get along really well. When Andy Griffith’s daughter was asked about the duo’s relationship, she said: “He loved Don very, very much. They had a deep and abiding respect for each other, and they remained friends till the end.”
In fact, the two have recently had a book written about them called “Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show”. The book was written by Daniel de Visé and is based on numerous interviews with people who knew these two from childhood, during their professional lives and right up to their passing. Don and Andy were best friends from the 1950s and their friendship continued all the way until their passing, more than five decades later.
His Final Day
Don Knotts died in early 2006 at the respectable age of 81, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. His cause of death was cited as pulmonary and respiratory complications of pneumonia related to lung cancer. His health began to deteriorate in the last few months of his life, after a few years of him visibly aging in a fairly fast manner. The actor went to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for therapy during the last months of his life but had gone home after reporting to his family that his health had improved somewhat.
Knotts was buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. He had many guests attending the funeral and received glowing and loving obituaries, with many of the attendees citing him as one of their greatest influences. In early 2011, his family replaced that granite headstone that marked his grave with a bronze plaque containing an engraved image of many of his most popular characters, such as Roy Fleming from The Reluctant Astronaut and Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show, with the engraving: "He saw the poignancy in people's pride and pain and turned it into something hilarious and endearing".
Chicken Little
One popular film that many people don’t know that Don Knotts played in is the 2005’s popular animated children’s film Chicken Little. This role ended up being the actor's final role, which was a fitting ending for a long and successful entertainment career. Knotts voiced the character of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in the iconic Disney film, which ended up being a critically acclaimed film.
The film starred a young and cute rooster who has to deal with social problems after having a panic attack and proclaiming famously that “the sky is falling!”. Don Knotts' role in the film as Mayor Turkey Lurkey, was a return to his usual style of roles, with him playing a friendly and kind turkey who like the rest of his type-casted characters, is not the brightest tool is the shed.
His Most Iconic Roles
While Don Knotts appeared in many films and TV shows over the course of his performances as an actor for over five decades, his two biggest roles that would go on to become legendary and iconic were as Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) and as Ralph Furley on Three’s Company (1977). The actor became very popular thanks to these two shows, as they eventually set the grounds for his later fame and recognition. These roles got him into many other films and studio deals, and even netted him various awards and honors for his excellent performance on them.
Don quickly rose in prominence to become one of the most famous celebrities in Hollywood at the time, thanks in large part to his recognizability, which was attributed to his unique and consistent persona. Another factor that got him so much success as an actor was his ability to consistently make people laugh and have a good time. Even when acting in what critics would call a "mediocre" film, he would still give the audience a fun experience and they would love him for it. You just knew what to expect when you saw anything with Don Knotts in it — a funny, loving, kind, authentic, goofy and relatable entertainer, doing his best to make you laugh.
He Kept Acting Until His Passing
Don Knotts really enjoyed what he did. Having a career where you are one of America's most beloved and well-known individuals is a pretty sweet gig. Not to mention the paycheck at the end of it. It's also a great thing to know that Don had a solid character - he was a good guy with great intentions and always made people bring out their best sides. This is why the actor was so widely appreciated, and never really needed to take a break or deal with any serious drama or controversies.
The successful actor was also known as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood and was extremely consistent in his performances while having a very likable personality, making him an easy pick for studios. He appeared in over 85 films and TV shows throughout his more than five decades of work. Some of his TV shows would end up running for many years to come, and he truly enjoyed every one of them. Don Knotts really loved what he did, he was an entertainer at heart, right until the end.