Don Knotts will always remain as one of the most treasured comedians out there. He is most recognized for his high-pitched voice and high-strung characters. In fact, he even earned three Emmys for his role in The Andy Griffith show as Barney Fife.
Steve Shapiro/Corbis via Getty Images
And yet, despite his fame, he kept his life under wraps and away from the public eye. When he died in 2006, a lot of interesting facts about his private life were revealed. Continue reading to know more about the life of Don Knotts.
A Rough Childhood
Don Knotts may have put smiles on a lot of faces, but he actually didn’t have it easy growing up. He dealt with life-altering issues during his childhood and adolescent years and it was often evident in his eyes.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
To put it lightly, his father was “not a nice father” as he was going through mental health issues like schizophrenia. As Don was growing up, his father would often threaten him. Furthermore, Don’s oldest brother died of pneumonia at a young age of 13.
Trying Out Ventriloquy
Like a lot of successful comedians, Knotts dabbled in ventriloquy before earning lead acting roles. With the help of a wooden dummy called Danny “Hooch” Matador, Knotts performed at numerous events over the years.
Karen Knotts
However, one day, he decided ventriloquy was not for him and got rid of the doll when he performed during an overseas military show. He threw the doll overboard while on a ship crossing the South Pacific.
Working An Odd Job
It may come as a surprise that some of the world’s most famous stars worked regular jobs before their rise to fame. For example, Rachel McAdams used to serve Bic Macs at her local McDonald’s for three years.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Before Knotts had a successful acting career, he used to have an odd profession. Knotts used to work as a chicken plucker. He certainly had no idea about the good life he would have after his chicken plucking career.
Serving His Iconic Look
When Don Knotts wasn’t dressed in his infamous Barney Fife look, the infamous police uniform, he was usually seen rocking his iconic look—a straw hat and coat. This wasn’t the only thing that made him memorable, though.
Pictorial Parade/Getty Images
Aside from his look, people remembered him for his wonderful sense of humor. His suit from The Andy Griffith Show became a symbol for his humorous persona and even popped up in his other works like The Reluctant Astronaut.
Inspiration from The Andy Griffith Show
He may have left The Andy Griffith Show early, but the show certainly had an influence on his whole career as a comedian. When he left The Andy Griffith Show, he signed a five-film contract with Universal Studios.
Universal Pictures Company
After his role as Barney Fife, he played Luther Heggs in his first-ever Universal Pictures movie The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Actually, the famous 1966 film was based off the 2nd episode from the 4th season of The Andy Griffith Show called, “The Haunted House”.
Military Service
Knotts served in the military for three years from 1943 to 1946, and during his service he was given a World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and an Honorable Service Lapel Button.
The Everett Collection
Although he may not have fought in combat during his service, he did play a part in putting smiles on the brave soldiers’ faces. After 3 years of his service, he was discharged at the rank of Technician Grade 5.
Subject of Griffith’s Jokes
Despite having a strong bond throughout their adult lives, Knotts and Griffith didn’t always have a smooth-sailing friendship the whole time. Like any other kind of friendship, they surely had their ups and downs, especially while filming The Andy Griffith Show.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Knotts was always the butt of Griffith’s jokes. Based on the account of biographer Daniel de Vise, Knotts was often awoken from his naps by Griffith who would aggressively throw a film canister on the ground.
His Role In The Military
When Knotts died, lots of conspiracy theories quickly circulated. One of these theories was that he served as a fierce drill sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Fortunately, it was nothing but a mere myth.
Mai/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
The only thing that was a fact in that myth was that Knotts was indeed a part of the military, but he was far from being a terrifying soldier. During WWII, Knotts spent a lot of his time in service being a source of entertainment for the troops.
A Soap Opera Role
After his legendary service in the military, Knotts earned his first-ever major acting role in a TV soap opera called Search for Tomorrow. In it, he played the character Wilbur Peterson. He may have only had a few lines, but it was still considered his big break.
After his role as Wilbur Peterson, he stayed away from dramas and discovered his passion for comedy. During an interview in an Archive of American Television, he revealed, “It was the only serious role I ever played professionally.”
The Andy Griffith Show
After he made his appearance on The Steve Allen Show from 1957 to 1960, he slowly garnered public attention due to his unique and show-stopping sense of humor. After his appearance on that show, he got the Barney Fife role.
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
However, after the first episode aired, he was almost kicked off the show because he began shooting the show without having signed any contract whatsoever. Thankfully, executive producer Sheldon Leonard opted to let him stick around when he saw Knotts’ talent.
Receiving Major Lines
Sheldon Leonard wasn’t the only person who was captivated with Knotts’ talent. On set, even Knotts’ own co-star, Andy Griffith, was impressed with his comedic talent. In fact, he respected Knotts so much that he even allowed Knotts to steal the limelight.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Andy Griffith was supposed to be the leading star of the show, but he let Barney Fife to take on a leading role instead. Right from the very beginning, Griffith and Knotts developed a solid friendship that remained throughout their entire lives.
Leaving After Five Seasons
After The Andy Griffith Show aired five award-winning seasons, Griffith decided to pursue the show and renew the contract for three more years. This shocked a lot of viewers worldwide, Knotts included. People expected the show to not go past five years.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Unfortunately for Don Knotts, his time on The Andy Griffith Show came to an end in 1965 when he signed a five-year contract with Universal Pictures. Knotts recalled, “It was a tough time for me because I enjoyed ‘The Griffith Show’ so much that I hated to leave.”
Mr. Limpet
Knotts will always be recognized for his first lead role in the famous movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet as Mr. Limpet. The show was a comical hybrid that shifted from live-action to animation where Henry Limpet would shift into a talking fish that helped the US Navy find Nazi submarines before the Pearl Harbor attack.
Warner Brothers/Getty Images
The movie premiered at the Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater on January 20,1964. It became the world’s first underwater movie premiere. Knotts was certainly proud of his Mr. Limpet role, once saying the film was “very, very good.”
His Pleasantville Role
The longer the years went by, Don Knotts evolved alongside his comedy. He familiarized himself with modern humor and younger audiences through the comedy-drama movie Pleasantville that hit the theaters in 1998.
imdb.com
Knotts did not have a lead role, but rather a supporting role as a quirky TV repairman. What you did not know, though, is that he almost was not given the role of the repairman. The role was actually supposed to go to Dick Van Dyke.
Pleasantville Dubbing Sessions
Aside from his iconic roles, Knotts also had an unforgettable role in Pleasantville. However, compared to Van Dyke, he wasn’t completely in attendance during the whole process. After shooting had finished, he wasn’t available to go back to the set for the extra dubbing sessions.
listal.com
As a result, Craig Shoemaker, a professional dubber and impersonator, took over the difficult task of imitation Knotts’ one-of-a-kind voice and style. Craig Shoemaker also had a comedy career of his own. In 1997, he won Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic at the American Comedy Awards.
Tied Up In Knotts
His daughter, Karen Knotts, grew up and studied acting at USC School of Cinematic Arts. It was during her time at USC that she discovered the world of stand-up comedy and decided to pursue that path.
Karen Knotts
Karen took her one-woman show and went on a nationwide tour performing her stand-up act called Tied Up In Knotts. Her act is mostly about her father’s memorable comedy career, such as scenes from The Andy Griffith Show and recalls memories of what it was like having Don as a father.
Continuing Her Father’s Legacy
Don Knotts may have passed away 15 years ago, but his loving daughter, Karen, does her best to keep Don’s name alive. She decided to continue in her father’s legacy and have a career in both acting and comedy.
Valerie Macon/Getty Images
When Karen was young, her dad was rather against the idea of her dabbling in the film industry. Karen remembers her dad saying, “No, that’s not a good life for a child.” However, the older Karen got, the more Don realized how passionate Karen was and decided to not hold her back anymore. In the end, he gave her his full support.
On His Deathbed
It was not so surprising to know that even during Don Knotts’ final moments, his sense of humor stayed by his side. On his deathbed, he even caused his wife and daughter to break out into fits of laughter.
Karen Knotts
His daughter, Karen, recalled fondly, “He was literally dying, but he did something or said something that caused my stepmother and me to go into fits of laughter, which is why I ran out. I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to be standing there in front of this man, my dearly beloved father, who’s dying, and laughing.'”
Knotts’ Death
Knotts’ death certainly impacted people all over the world who bore witness to Don’s unique humor and contagious smile. Comedians worldwide remembered Don for his captivating charisma and unmatched personality.
Library of Congress
Knotts died due to a respiratory complication of pneumonia that he picked up while he battled lung cancer. He was buried at the Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. In 2011, his gravestone was renewed with a bronze plaque that mentioned Knotts’ film and TV roles.
A Huge Flirt
Don Knotts may have had comedic roles, but he was surely a big lady’s man in person. After all, funny men are usually irresistible to women, and Knotts certainly had enough jokes to woo women from all over the country.
The LIFE Image Collection/Getty Images
When Karen Knotts had an interview with People magazine in March 2006, a month after her father’s death, she joked, “Dad was kind of wild. He was really quite the ladies’ man, especially between marriages.”
Three Marriages
Even though Don was a huge ladies’ man, he stayed a married man for a huge part of his adult life. His first wife, Kathryn Metz, and him were married for seventeen year and had two kids, Thomas and Karen. In 1974, he got married to his second wife, Loralee Czuchna and were married for 9 years.
CBS Photo Archives/Getty Images
His third and final marriage was to actress Francey Yarborough in 2002. The couple stayed together until Don’s death in 2006. Aside from being Don’s wife, Yarborough also had a successful acting career, most-recognized for her role in the film The Electric Chair.
Knotts and Griffith’s Lifelong Friendship
Knotts and Griffith literally had a lifelong friendship. After Knotts’ long and hard battle with lung cancer, Knotts died with Griffith right by his side. Griffith recalled tearfully, “I told him I loved him and I held his hand.”
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Archive/Getty Images
Both men truly had each other’s backs since the beginning of time and stayed by each other’s sides until Knotts’ remaining hours on Earth. It’s safe to say Knotts and Griffith were literally best friends for life.
So Close To Staying
When Knotts found out that signing a contract with Universal Pictures would cause him to leave The Andy Griffith Show, he tried to find a way so that he could stay in the show and continue playing Barney Fife. He did not want to leave the reason behind him becoming a famous comedian.
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
According to de Vise, Knotts approached Griffith with a proposal. He proposed to Griffith that he would remain on the show as long as he had a valuable stake in the production. Unfortunately, Griffith declined the proposal, thinking Knotts wanted a 50/50 split on the profit.
His Barney Fife Statue
Tom Hellebrand made a statue of Don Knotts to pay homage to his most famous character, Barney Fife. Hellebrand had the statue displayed at Griffith’s hometown in Mount Airy, which also served as an inspiration for The Andy Griffith Show’s fictional setting.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Sadly, his statue was torn down before it was even fully completed. Production of the statue had to be put to a stop when Paramount Studios, who had all rights to the show, denied the approval of the piece.
Three’s Company Drama
American sitcom tv show Three’s Company may have become a hit in the future, it sadly did not have an easy rise to success. In 1980, contract negotiations stirred up some huge drama on the set of the show.
Walt Disney Television/Getty Images
One of the actresses, Suzanne Somers, had some rather excessive demands. She would only agree to remaining on the show given that she’d be given a big raise and receive 10% of the series’ earnings. When the producers refused to meet her demands, tension developed.
Taking Over Somer’s Role
Somers went on strike when the producers refused to meet any of her demands and vowed to never show up and film the show. With Somers’ sudden absence, filmmakers were afraid that ratings would go down, so, they made a compromise with her.
Dennis Plehn/Walt Disney TV via Getty Images
When Somers was absent from the show in 1980, Knotts helped by stepping in. He usually stepped in and recited some of the lines of Chrissy, Somers’ character. Eventually, the tension was not resolved and Somers left the show.