Andy Griffith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Griffith
Griffith in 1960, Andy Griffith Show
Born	Andy Samuel Griffith (1926-06-01)June 1, 1926 Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 3, 2012(2012-07-03) (aged 86) Manteo, North Carolina, U.S.
Resting place	Roanoke Island, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.Mus. 1949
Occupation	Actor comedian producer singer writer director
Years active	1946–2012
Notable work	The Andy Griffith Show Matlock
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Barbara Bray Edwards ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1972)​ Solica Cassuto ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1981)​ Cindi Knight ​ ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	2

Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926 – died July 3, 2012) was a famous American actor, comedian, and producer. He was also a singer and writer. His career lasted for seven decades in music and television.

Andy Griffith was known for his friendly, Southern way of speaking. He played lead roles in the TV shows The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) and Matlock (1986–1995). He also starred in movies like A Face in the Crowd (1957).

Andy Griffith's Early Life and School

Andy Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He was the only child of Carl and Geneva Griffith. When he was a baby, he lived with relatives because his parents couldn't afford a home. He even slept in dresser drawers for a few months!

When Andy was three, his family bought a house. He grew up listening to music. At school, he was shy at first. But he soon found that making people laugh helped him feel more comfortable.

At Mount Airy High School, Andy became very interested in acting and music. He loved swing music. A minister named Ed Mickey taught him to sing and play the trombone. Andy also performed in a play called The Lost Colony for several years.

He went to the University of North Carolina (UNC). He first studied to be a preacher but changed his major to music. He graduated in 1949 with a music degree. At UNC, he was part of the school's theater group, the Carolina Playmakers. After college, he taught music and drama for a few years at Goldsboro High School.

Andy Griffith's Career Highlights

From Comedian to Film Star

Andy Griffith started his career telling long, funny stories called monologues. One famous story was What It Was, Was Football. It was about a country preacher trying to understand a football game. This story became a popular song in 1954.

In 1955, Andy starred in a TV play called No Time for Sergeants. It was about a country boy in the Air Force. He later played the same role in a Broadway play in New York City. This role helped him become well-known. He even got an award for new actors on Broadway.

He also played the same role in the movie version of No Time for Sergeants (1958). In this movie, he worked with Don Knotts for the first time. They became lifelong friends.

Dramatic Role in A Face in the Crowd (1957)

Griffith with Lee Remick (left) and Patricia Neal (right) on the set of A Face in the Crowd (1957)

In 1957, Andy Griffith made his first movie, A Face in the Crowd. In this film, he played a country boy who becomes a powerful TV host. He uses his show to gain political power. The movie also starred Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau.

Andy Griffith later said he believed this movie became more popular years after it was first released.

Television Roles

Early TV Appearances

Andy Griffith's first TV appearance was in 1955 in No Time for Sergeants. In 1960, he played a sheriff in an episode of Make Room for Daddy. This episode was a test for his own show, The Andy Griffith Show.

The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)

Andy Griffith and Julie Adams in 1962

In September 1960, Andy Griffith began starring as Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show on CBS. The show was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. Andy Taylor was a kind sheriff and a wise leader in the town. He was also a widower raising his son.

From 1960 to 1965, his good friend Don Knotts co-starred as Barney Fife, the funny deputy. The show also starred child actor Ron Howard as Andy's son, Opie Taylor. The show was an instant success and very popular.

Andy Griffith helped develop every script for the show. Even though he was never nominated for an Emmy Award for the show, Don Knotts and Frances Bavier (who played Aunt Bee) won Emmys for their acting.

In 1967, Andy decided to leave the show to work on movies. The show continued as Mayberry R.F.D., with many of the same characters. Andy Griffith was an executive producer for Mayberry R.F.D. and appeared in a few episodes. He also returned as Andy Taylor for the TV movie Return to Mayberry in 1986.

Matlock (1986–1995)

Publicity photo with Lee Meriwether for The New Andy Griffith Show, 1971

After The Andy Griffith Show, Andy starred in other TV series that were not as successful. In 1983, he had a health problem called Guillain–Barré syndrome, which caused him to be unable to walk for seven months. After recovering, he returned to TV in 1986 as Ben Matlock in the legal drama Matlock.

In Matlock, he played a country lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia. Ben Matlock was known for his Southern accent and for always winning his cases. The show became very popular on Tuesday nights. Andy Griffith won a People's Choice Award in 1987 for his role as Matlock.

Other TV Appearances

Andy Griffith also appeared in many other TV shows over the years. These included Hawaii Five-O, The Bionic Woman, and Fantasy Island. His last guest role was in 2001 on Dawson's Creek.

Films and TV Movies

Patricia Neal and Griffith in A Face in the Crowd

During the 1970s, Andy Griffith starred in many TV movies. He played different kinds of characters, including villains. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV movie Murder in Texas (1981). He also gained praise for his role in Murder in Coweta County (1983), which co-starred music legend Johnny Cash.

He appeared in a few feature films too, like the comedy Hearts of the West (1975). He also played a funny villain in the spy movie spoof Spy Hard (1996) with Leslie Nielsen.

In the movie Waitress (2007), Andy Griffith played a diner owner. His last movie role was in the romantic comedy Play the Game (2009). He played a lonely grandfather who starts dating again after 60 years.

Singing Career

Andy Griffith often sang in his acting roles, especially in A Face in the Crowd and on The Andy Griffith Show. He also released albums of country and gospel music. His album I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns (1996) sold over a million copies. It also won a Grammy Award in 1997.

He appeared in country singer Brad Paisley's music video "Waitin' on a Woman" in 2008.

Friendships with Don Knotts and Ron Howard

Don Knotts

Don Knotts (left) and Andy Griffith (right) on the set of a TV special in 1965

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts became friends in 1955 while working on the play No Time for Sergeants. Years later, Don Knotts joined The Andy Griffith Show as Deputy Barney Fife. They were great comedy partners.

Don Knotts left the show in 1965 but often came back for guest appearances. He also had a recurring role on Matlock. Andy Griffith once said that the five years they worked together were the best years of his life. They remained close friends until Don Knotts passed away in 2006.

Ron Howard

Griffith and Howard in a 1961 publicity photo for The Andy Griffith Show

Andy Griffith's friendship with Ron Howard began in 1960. Ron Howard played Andy's son, Opie, on The Andy Griffith Show for eight seasons. They acted as father and son in most episodes.

They also appeared together in the spin-off series Mayberry R.F.D. and the TV special Return to Mayberry (1986). They reunited for TV specials in 1993 and 2003. In 2008, they even made a funny online video together to encourage people to vote.

After Andy Griffith died, Ron Howard said that Andy's love for creating and making people happy was very inspiring. He said Andy always worked with respect for his audience.

Political Activities

Andy Griffith supported the Democratic Party. He appeared in TV commercials to support North Carolina governors Mike Easley and Bev Perdue. He also spoke at their inauguration ceremonies.

In 2008, he appeared with Ron Howard in a video supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In 2010, he starred in advertisements about Medicare.

Andy Griffith's Personal Life

Andy Griffith married Barbara Bray Edwards in 1949. They adopted two children, a son named Sam and a daughter named Dixie. They divorced in 1972. His son, Sam, passed away in 1996.

Andy married Solica Cassuto in 1973, and they divorced in 1981. He then married Cindi Knight in 1983. They met while he was filming Murder in Coweta County. Andy also had three granddaughters through his daughter Dixie.

Health and Death

In 1983, Andy Griffith was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome. This caused him to be unable to walk for seven months. He recovered from this illness.

In 2000, he had heart surgery. In 2007, he had hip surgery after a fall.

Andy Griffith passed away on July 3, 2012, at his home in Manteo, North Carolina. He was 86 years old. He died from a heart attack. He was buried on Roanoke Island within hours of his death, as he had wished.

Awards and Honors

Griffith receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president George W. Bush (2005)

• He was put into the Television Hall of Fame in 1991.
• He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• The Andy Griffith Museum opened in 2009 in his hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. It holds many items from his career.
• He won a Grammy Award in 1997 for his album I Love to Tell the Story – 25 Timeless Hymns.
• A part of US Highway 52 in Mount Airy was named the Andy Griffith Parkway.
• A statue of Andy Griffith and Ron Howard (as Andy and Opie) is in Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. A second statue is in Mount Airy.
• He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the U.S.
• He was put into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
• He was put into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Albums

Filmography

Movies

Short Films and Music Videos

Television Work

See also

In Spanish: Andy Griffith para niños