Remembering Don Knotts

Don Knotts will forever be remembered as one of the most beloved comedians. He is best known for his high strung characters and high-pitched voice.

He won three consecutive Emmys for his infamous role as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show. Despite his popularity, Knotts kept his private life pretty much behind closed doors. However, following his death in 2006, a variety of interesting facts about the comedy legend was revealed. Continue reading for a quick look into Don Knotts’s fascinating life!

A Difficult Childhood

Even though Knotts eventually grew up to put smiles on people’s faces all over the world, his early life was far from simple. He struggled with life-altering issues during his childhood and teenage years, and you could sometimes see it in his eyes.

His father William was “not a nice father” to say the least. He suffered from serious mental health issues including schizophrenia. While Don was growing up his father occasionally threatened him. Additionally, Don’s oldest brother Earl died of pneumonia when Don was only 13 years old. He may have grown up to be a hilarious comedy star, but his life wasn’t always light-hearted. 

Started Off as a Ventriloquist

Like many successful comedians, Knotts explored the world of ventriloquism before landing major acting roles. 

Knotts performed with the help of a wooden dummy named Danny “Hooch” Matador. Danny and Knotts worked together for a number of years until he ditched the doll during an overseas military show. Knotts decided ventriloquism wasn’t for him when he reportedly threw Danny overboard off the ship in the South Pacific. The doll was “missing in action,” he later joked in an interview.

A Weird Job

It can be shocking to discover some of the unexpected jobs that stars were working in before they made it big. Patrick Dempsey was a professional juggler before he became a famous actor. Rachel McAdams spent three years serving up Big Macs at her local McDonald’s.

However, Don Knotts’s profession before finding fame was especially strange. He worked as a chicken plucker. He had no idea he would end up making a fortune in a fulfilling acting career. So he was a coocoo. A coocoo plucker!

Best Dressed

When Barney Fife wasn’t dressed from head to toe in his infamous police uniform, he was rocking the iconic straw hat and coat. It wasn’t just the things he wore, though. Knotts’ expressive face quickly became recognized throughout the country as a killer comedian. Knotts’s unique look added a certain essence to his wonderful sense of humor.

The suit from The Andy Griffith Show became an icon of Knotts’s comedic persona and appeared multiple times in some of his other work, including The Reluctant Astronaut and The Incredible Mr. Limpet.

His Future Film Roles Were Heavily Inspired by The Andy Griffith Show

Knotts may have had a premature departure from The Andy Griffith Show, but the series truly left a substantial influence on his entire comedy career.

One of Knotts’s main subsequent roles following Barney Fife was featured in his first movie with Universal Pictures when he played Luther Heggs in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. The hit 1966 film was actually based on a memorable episode in The Andy Griffith Show, 1963’s “Haunted House.”

Honorable Soldier

Despite his unusual role in the military, Knotts was actually recognized as a highly decorated non-combatant. Knotts was discharged in 1946 after serving for three years. 

Throughout his service, Knotts was awarded a number of honors. He received four notable medals, including the World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Honorable Service Lapel Button, and a marksmanship badge. He may not have fought in the front lines, but Knotts had a crucial and meaningful role of bringing smiles to the fighting soldier’s faces. 

The Butt of Griffith’s Jokes

Despite maintaining a strong friendship throughout adulthood, Griffith and Knotts’ friendship was not always sunshine and rainbows. They surely had their ups and downs, especially while on set for The Andy Griffith Show.

Knotts was constantly the victim of Griffith’s practical jokes. According to biographer Daniel de Vise, Griffith often woke Knotts up from his naps by aggressively throwing a film canister onto the ground. Additionally, Griffith referred to Knotts by the name “Jess” – mocking Don’s given first name “Jesse” which he was known to thoroughly dislike.

A Unique Role in the Military

Conspiracy theories were quick to spread following Knotts’s devastating death. One of the many rumors included an urban legend that stated that Knotts once served in the United States Marine Corps as a fierce drill sergeant.

Fortunately, it’s only a myth. The only truth to the story is the fact that Knotts indeed served in the military, but he was far from an intimidating soldier. Throughout World War II, Knotts spent his time providing entertainment for troops in a variety act called Stars and Gripes.

Soap Opera Debut

Following his legendary stint in the military, Knotts landed his first major acting position in the TV soap opera Search for Tomorrow. Knotts’s character Wilbur Peterson only had a few lines in the show, but his role in the soap is still considered his first big break.

Knotts steered clear of dramas after playing that role and found his passion for comedy.  “It was the only serious role I ever played professionally,” said Knotts in an Archive of American Television interview.

Could’ve Been Scrapped After the First Episode of The Andy Griffith Show

After being featured on The Steve Allen Show from 1957 to 1960, he slowly began to rise to fame as the public picked up on his unique and shows-topping sense of humor.

He landed his legendary role as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show shortly after his appearances with Steve Allen. However, Knotts could have easily been kicked off the show after its first episode, considering he began shooting without signing any contract. Luckily, the executive producer Sheldon Leonard decided to let Knotts stick around when he displayed his incredible talent on-screen with Griffith..

Griffith Gave Him All of the Major Lines

Leonard wasn’t the only one impressed with Knotts’s acting in the show. While on set, Knotts’s co-star Andy Griffith was also blown away by his hilarious abilities. 

Griffith had so much respect for Knotts’s wit that he let him steal the spotlight in the show. Andy was meant to be the star of the series, but he allowed Barney Fife to become the show’s comedic center instead. From the first episode, Griffith and Knotts began a strong friendship that lasted throughout their entire lives.

Saying Goodbye After Five Seasons

After five world-renowned seasons of The Andy Griffith Show, Griffith decided to continue on the same path and renew his contract with the producers for another three years. This shocked viewers all over the world, including Knotts. It was expected that the show wouldn’t gain enough popularity to last longer than five years.

Unfortunately, Knotts’s time on the series was over in 1965 when left to pursue a five-year contract with Universal Pictures. “It was a tough time for me because I enjoyed the ‘Griffith Show’ so much that I hated to leave,” Knotts recalled in an interview. 

The Incredible Mr. Limpet

Knotts will be forever remembered for his first starring role as the hilarious character of Mr. Limpet in the hit movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet.

In this comical hybrid between live-action and animation, Henry Limpet transforms into a talking fish that helps the U.S. Navy locate Nazi submarines just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie had its premiere on January 20, 1964, at the Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater, becoming the world’s first underwater movie premiere. Knotts was proud of his work as Mr. Limpet, once mentioning the film was  “very very good.”