Don Knotts, best known for his role as the bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, didn’t initially seem destined for movie stardom. However, his ties to Mayberry ultimately paved the way for his big break.
By 1964, Knotts was approaching the end of what had been a highly successful five-season run on The Andy Griffith Show. He had earned three consecutive Primetime Emmys for his portrayal of Fife, with two more following for guest appearances. Yet, Knotts sensed that his time in Mayberry was winding down, and he yearned for a film career. In 1966, he found his footing with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, which became a box-office hit, largely thanks to connections he had forged in Mayberry.
Knotts’s journey began in February 1960, as he wrapped up his stint on the original Steve Allen Show. He tuned into the debut of Sheriff Andy Taylor, portrayed by his No Time for Sergeants co-star Andy Griffith, during a backdoor pilot on The Danny Thomas Show. Knotts immediately reached out to Griffith, suggesting that the sheriff needed a deputy. According to Daniel de Visé’s book, Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, Griffith saw in Knotts the chance to shed some of the less appealing traits of the original Sheriff Taylor, allowing him to reshape the character into a more relatable figure. Knotts was soon brought on board as the fourth long-term cast member, joining Griffith, Ron Howard (Opie Taylor), and Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee).
The show quickly became a hit, maintaining a spot in Nielsen’s top 10 throughout its eight-year run. However, Knotts later revealed in his 1999 autobiography, Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known, that Griffith intended to exit after five years, and Knotts assumed he would follow suit. Complicating matters, he was reportedly earning less than $100,000 a year, and when he sought a raise, he was reminded that he wasn’t the show’s star.
With this in mind, Knotts began exploring new opportunities. “I was pretty hot at the time,” he recalled, considering several lucrative offers for new television series. But his ultimate goal remained clear: he wanted to become a movie star. “Remember,” he noted, “there was no such thing as television when I was growing up. Motion pictures were my dream.”
His persistence paid off with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, a film that not only showcased his comedic talents but also solidified his place in Hollywood, marking the beginning of a successful film career that would allow him to transcend his television roots.
