Andy Samuel Griffith[1] (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer[2] whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy-friendly personality, as well as his gruff but friendly voice, Griffith was aTony Award nominee for two roles. He gained prominence in the starring role in directorElia Kazan's filmA Face in the Crowd (1957) andNo Time for Sergeants (1958) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead roles ofAndy Taylor in the sitcomThe Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) andBen Matlock in thelegal dramaMatlock (1986–1995).
Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, inMount Airy, North Carolina, the only child of Carl Lee Griffith and his wife, Geneva (née Nunn).[3] As a baby, Griffith lived with relatives until his parents could afford to buy a home. With neither a crib nor a bed, he slept in dresser drawers for several months. In 1929, when Griffith was three, his father began working as a helper or carpenter and purchased a home in Mount Airy's "blue-collar" south side. Griffith grew up listening to music. By the time he entered school, he was well aware that he was from what many considered the "wrong side of the tracks". He was a shy student, but once he found a way to make his peers laugh, he began to come out of his shell and come into his own.
As a student atMount Airy High School, Griffith cultivated an interest in the arts, and he participated in the school's drama program. A growing love of music, particularlyswing, would change his life. Griffith was raisedBaptist[4] and looked up to Ed Mickey, a minister at GraceMoravian Church, who led thebrass band and taught him to sing and play the trombone. Mickey nurtured Griffith's talent throughout high school until graduation in 1944. Griffith was delighted when he was offered a role inThe Lost Colony byPaul Green, a play aboutRoanoke Island still performed today. He performed as a cast member of the play for several years, playing a variety of roles until he finally landed the role ofSir Walter Raleigh, for whom North Carolina's capital is named.
Griffith's early career was as amonologist. Assuming the character of an affable country parson, "Deacon Andy Griffith" delivered long stories such as "What It Was, Was Football", in which he tried to figure out what was going on in afootball game.[9] The monologue was released as a single in 1953 on theColonial Records label. The much largerCapitol Records acquired the master recording and reissued the record in December 1953.[10] It became a hit, reaching number nine on the charts in 1954.[11] The B-side of the single was the deacon explainingShakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet in the same rural dialect. Griffith made appearances on television variety shows, where he would deliver either the football monologue or the Shakespeare monologue.
Griffith reprised his role forWarner Bros.' film version ofNo Time for Sergeants (1958); the film also featuredDon Knotts, as a jitterycorporal in charge ofmanual-dexterity tests, marking the beginning of a lifelong association between Griffith and Knotts.No Time for Sergeants is considered the direct inspiration for the later television situation comedyGomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.[14] – a spin-off ofThe Andy Griffith Show.
His only other New York stage appearance was thetitle role in the 1959 musicalDestry Rides Again, co-starringDolores Gray. The show, with a score byHarold Rome, ran for 472 performances and more than a year. Griffith was nominated for "Distinguished Musical Actor" at the1960 Tony Awards, losing toJackie Gleason. Warner Bros., pleased with the reception of itsNo Time for Sergeants film, placed Griffith in another military comedy,Onionhead (1958), starring Griffith as aUS Coast Guard sailor. It was neither a critical nor a commercial success.
A 2005 DVD reissue ofA Face in the Crowd includes a mini-documentary on the film, with comments from Schulberg and cast members Griffith, Franciosa, and Neal. In his interview, Griffith recalls Kazan prepping him to shoot his first scene with Remick's teenagedbaton twirler, who captivates Griffith's character on a trip toArkansas. Griffith also expresses his belief that the film is more popular in recent decades than it was when originally released.[15]
Griffith's first appearance on television was in 1955 in the one-hour teleplay ofNo Time for Sergeants onThe United States Steel Hour. That was the first of two appearances on that series. In 1960, Griffith appeared as acountysheriff, who was also ajustice of the peace and theeditor of the local newspaper, in an episode ofMake Room for Daddy starringDanny Thomas. This episode, in which Thomas's character is stopped for running a stop sign in a little town, served as abackdoor pilot forThe Andy Griffith Show. Both shows were produced bySheldon Leonard.
From 1960 to 1965, the show co-starredcharacter actor and comedian — and Griffith's longtime friend — Don Knotts in the role ofDeputyBarney Fife, Taylor's best friend and comedy partner. He was also Taylor's cousin in the show at first, though later they dropped that cousin relationship and talked simply of knowing one another since boyhood. In the series premiere episode, in a conversation between the two, Fife calls Taylor "Cousin Andy", and Taylor calls Fife "Cousin Barney." The show also starred child actorRon Howard (then known as Ronny Howard), who played Taylor's only child, Opie Taylor. It was an immediate hit. Griffith never received a writing credit for the show, but he worked on the development of every script. Knotts was frequently lauded and won multipleEmmy Awards for his comedic performances, as didFrances Bavier in 1967, while Griffith was never nominated for an Emmy Award during the show's run.
In 1967, Griffith was under contract with CBS to do one more season of the show. However, he decided to quit the show to pursue a movie career and other projects. During the last season ofThe Andy Griffith Show, new cast memberKen Berry was worked into the storylines as a principal character, grooming him as Griffith's replacement. Producer Sheldon Leonard shrewdly introduced the new, revamped Griffith showMayberry R.F.D. as a summer-replacement series in the Griffith time slot, attracting Griffith's established audience. The series continued into the fall, with Ken Berry as a widower farmer and many of the regularGriffith Show characters recurring, some regularly and some as guest appearances. Griffith served as executive producer (according to Griffith, he came in once a week to review the week's scripts and give input) and guest starred in five episodes (the pilot episode involved his marriage toHelen Crump).[16]
Griffith made final appearances as Taylor in three reunion vehicles: the 1986television film,Return to Mayberry, with fellow co-star, Don Knotts, and two reunion specials in 1993[17] and 2003,[18] with strong ratings.[19]
After leaving his still-popular show in 1968, and starting his own production company Andy Griffith Enterprises in 1972, Griffith starred in less-successful television series such asHeadmaster (1970),The New Andy Griffith Show (1971),Adams of Eagle Lake (1975),Salvage 1 (1979) andThe Yeagers (1980). After spending seven months in rehabilitation for legparalysis fromGuillain–Barré syndrome in 1983, Griffith returned to television as the title character, Ben Matlock, in the legal dramaMatlock (1986–1995) on NBC and ABC. Matlock was acountry lawyer inAtlanta, Georgia, who was known for hisSouthern drawl and for always winning his cases.Matlock also starred unfamiliar, struggling actors (both of whom were childhood fans of Andy Griffith)Nancy Stafford as Michelle Thomas (1987–1992) andClarence Gilyard, Jr. as Conrad McMasters (1989–1993). By the end of its first season it was a ratings powerhouse on Tuesday nights. Although the show was nominated for four Emmy Awards, Griffith once again was never nominated. He did, however, win a People's Choice Award in 1987 for his work as Matlock.[20]
Most of the television movies in which Griffith starred were also attempts to launch a new series.Winter Kill (1974) launched the short-livedAdams of Eagle Lake, which was canceled in 1975 after only two episodes. A year later, he starred as a New York City attorney for the DA's office inStreet Killing, which also failed to launch a new show. Two television films for NBC in 1977,The Girl in the Empty Grave andDeadly Game, were attempts for Griffith to launch a new series featuring him as Police Chief Abel Marsh, a more hard-edged version of Andy Taylor; despite strong ratings, both were unsuccessful in leading to a new TV show.
During this period, Griffith also appeared in two feature films, both of which flopped at the box office. He co-starred withJeff Bridges as a crusty old 1930s western actor in the comedyHearts of the West (1975), and he appeared alongsideTom Berenger as a gay villainouscolonel and cattle baron in the Western comedy spoofRustlers' Rhapsody (1985).
Following another short-lived return to series television, playing a family patriarch in theDynasty-inspiredThe Yeagers in 1980, Griffith continued to make guest appearances in several hit series, includingHotel,Fantasy Island, where he played a fictional version of western figureJudge Roy Bean featured in an aspiring singer's fantasy, and an episode ofThe Love Boat, which featured a memorable appearance by pop iconAndy Warhol. He also appeared as an attorney in the NBC miniseriesFatal Vision (1984), which is considered a precursor to his role inMatlock.
Griffith stunned many unfamiliar with hisA Face in the Crowd work in the television filmCrime of Innocence (1985) wherein he portrayed a hateful and vindictive judge who routinely sentenced juveniles to hard prison time, followed by lengthy and equally-torturous probation. Also noteworthy in Griffith's darker roles was his character inUnder the Influence (1986), a TV movie in which Griffith played an alcoholic, abusive patriarch. He further surprised audiences with his role as a dangerous and mysterious grandfather in the television filmGramps (1995) co-starringJohn Ritter. He also appeared as a comical villain in the spy movie spoofSpy Hard (1996) starringLeslie Nielsen. In the television filmA Holiday Romance (1999), Griffith played the role of Jake Peterson. In the filmDaddy and Them (2001), Griffith portrayed the patriarch of a dysfunctional southern family.
In the feature filmWaitress (2007), Griffith played a crustydiner owner who takes a shine toKeri Russell's character. His last appearance was the leading role in theromantic comedy,independent filmPlay the Game (2009) as a lonely, widowed grandfather re-entering the dating world after a 60-year hiatus. The cast ofPlay the Game also includedRance Howard, Ron Howard's real-life father, who had made appearances in various supporting roles onThe Andy Griffith Show, andClint Howard, Ron's younger brother, who had the recurring role of Leon (the kid offering the ice cream cone or peanut butter sandwich) onThe Andy Griffith Show.
Griffith sang as part of some of his acting roles, most notably inA Face in the Crowd and in many episodes of bothThe Andy Griffith Show andMatlock. In addition to his recordings of comic monologues in the 1950s, he made an album of upbeat country and gospel tunes during the run ofThe Andy Griffith Show, which included a version of the show's theme sung by Griffith under the title "The Fishin' Hole". In later years, he recorded successful albums of classic Christianhymns forSparrow Records. His most successful was the releaseI Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns (1996), which was certified platinum by the RIAA.[21] The album wonGrammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album at the1997 Grammy Awards.[22]
William Harold Fenrick ofPlatteville, Wisconsin, legally changed his name to Andrew Jackson Griffith and ran unsuccessfully for sheriff ofGrant County in November 2006. Subsequently, actor Griffith filed a lawsuit against Griffith/Fenrick, asserting that he violatedtrademark, copyright, andprivacy laws by changing his name for the "sole purpose of taking advantage of Griffith's fame in an attempt to gain votes". On May 4, 2007,US District Court JudgeJohn C. Shabaz ruled that Griffith/Fenrick did not violatefederal trademark law because he did not use the Griffith name in a commercial transaction but instead in order "to seek elective office, fundamental First Amendment protected speech".[24][25]
Don Knotts (l) and Andy Griffith (r) on the set of "The Andy Griffith-Don Knotts-Jim Nabors Hour" variety special (aired on October 7, 1965)
Griffith's friendship withDon Knotts began in 1955 when they co-starred in the Broadway playNo Time for Sergeants.[26] Several years later, Knotts had a regular role onThe Andy Griffith Show for five seasons.[27] Knotts left the series in 1965,[28] but periodically returned for guest appearances.[29] He appeared in the pilot for Griffith's subsequent short-lived series,The New Andy Griffith Show,[30] and he had a recurring role onMatlock, from 1988 to 1992.[31] In a January 2000 interview, Griffith said of Knotts, "The five years we worked together were the best five years of my life."[32]
They kept in touch until Knotts's death in early 2006. Griffith traveled from hisManteo, North Carolina home to Los Angeles to visit the terminally ill Knotts atCedars-Sinai just before Knotts died of lung cancer.[33]
Griffith & Howard in a 1961 publicity photo forThe Andy Griffith Show
Griffith's friendship with child actorRon Howard began in 1960 when they guest-starred in the episode ofMake Room for Daddy that led to the formation ofThe Andy Griffith Show the same year. For eight seasons, they starred together in most of the show's episodes, portraying father and son.
They guest-starred together in the show's spin-off seriesMayberry R.F.D. They appeared in an episode during which Griffith's character married his long-time girlfriend, Helen Crump,[34] and in theGomer Pyle U.S.M.C. episode "Opie Joins the Marines", in which Howard's character, Opie, runs away from home and attempts to enlist in theUS Marines.[35] They co-starred in the TV specialReturn to Mayberry (1986),[36] in which the now-adult Opie is about to become a father. They later appeared together in CBS reunion specials in 1993[17] and 2003.[18][19] Griffith also made a comedy cameo on theSaturday Night Live episode of October 9, 1982, hosted by Howard, who was, by then, in the early years of his directing career.[37]
In October 2008, Griffith and Howard briefly reprised their Mayberry roles in anonline videoRon Howard's Call to Action. It was posted to comedy video websiteFunny or Die. The video encouraged people to vote and endorsedDemocratic candidatesBarack Obama andJoe Biden.[38][39]
After Griffith's death, Howard stated:
His love of creating, the joy he took in it whether it was drama or comedy or his music, was inspiring to grow up around. The spirit he created on the set ofThe Andy Griffith Show was joyful and professional all at once. It was an amazing environment. And I think it was a reflection of the way he felt about having the opportunity to create something that people could enjoy. It was always with respect and passion for the opportunity and really what it could offer people in a very unpretentious and earthy way. He felt he was always working in service of an audience he really respected and cared about. He was a great influence on me. His passing is sad. But he lived a great rich life.[40]
In a 2016 interview withUs Magazine, Howard recalled Griffith encouraging his scriptwriting when he was just seven years old, saying "I felt elated." Howard recounted: "Andy Griffith said, 'What are you grinnin' at, young'un?' I said, 'That's the first idea of mine they've taken.' He said, 'It's the first that was any damn good. Now let's rehearse!'"[41]
In 2000, Griffith appeared in a last-minute campaign commercial where he endorsedDemocratic Party candidate and then-Attorney GeneralMike Easley for governor of North Carolina. Easley had been locked in a tight race with former Mayor of CharlotteRichard Vinroot and had been losing his lead in the polls. Easley went on towin that November, taking 52% of the vote to Vinroot's 46%. Many observers dubbed Easley's victory as the "Mayberry Miracle", and credit Griffith's endorsement for stopping his falling poll numbers.[42]
In October 2008, Griffith appeared withRon Howard in aFunny or Die video endorsement forBarack Obama's presidential campaign.[43] In addition to his endorsement of Obama, Griffith recorded a television commercial endorsing Democratic candidateBev Perdue for governor of North Carolina the same year.[44] He spoke at theinauguration ceremonies of both Easley in 2001 and Perdue in 2009.[45][46] In 1989, he declined an offer by Democratic Party officials to run againstJesse Helms, a RepublicanSenator from North Carolina.[47]
In 1945, while a student at the University of North Carolina, Griffith was initiated as a member ofPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national social music fraternity for men.[51]
Griffith and Barbara Bray Edwards were married on August 22, 1949, and they adopted two children: a son and a daughter.[52][53] They divorced in 1972. Griffith's second wife was Solica Cassuto, a Greek actress. They were married from 1973 to 1981.[54] Griffith and Cindi Knight married on April 12, 1983, after they met while she was a cast member ofThe Lost Colony. They remained married until Griffith's death.[55] Griffith also had three granddaughters through his daughter.[56]
According to the 2015 bookAndy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show,Aneta Corsaut and the married Griffith had anongoing affair throughout the five years they worked together onThe Andy Griffith Show; the affair was an open secret amongst the cast and crew.[57]
Griffith's first serious health problem was in April 1983 when he was diagnosed withGuillain–Barré syndrome and could not walk for seven months because of paralysis from the knees down.[58][59]
On July 3, 2012, Griffith died at hisRoanoke Island home inManteo, North Carolina, from a heart attack he had the day before; he was 86.[62][63] His death certificate listedhypertension,coronary artery disease, andhyperlipidemia as underlying health conditions.[63] In accordance with prior arrangements, no services were held at the time, and he was buried in a cemetery on the island within five hours of his death.[64]
Andy Griffith Museum—a 2,500-square-foot (232 m2) facility which houses the world's largest collection of Griffithmemorabilia—opened on September 26, 2009, in Mount Airy, North Carolina[65][66][67]
^"About Us". Evansville, IN: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Archived fromthe original on July 2, 2012. RetrievedJuly 3, 2012.Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is the world's oldest and largest secret national fraternal society in music.
^Andy Griffith; Patricia Neal; Anthony Franciosa; Budd Schulberg; Leo Braudy; Jeff Young (2005).Facing the Past (included on A Face in the Crowd DVD) (DVD). The Criterion Collection. Event occurs at 21:00-21:30; 27:30-27:45.
^Kelly, Richard Michael (1981).The Andy Griffith Show (Eleventh (2002) ed.). Faber U.K. pp. 59–60.ISBN0-89587-043-6.
^Esman, Rachael (February 27, 2006)."Farewell to Fife".The Houstonian. Huntsville, TX. Archived fromthe original on July 7, 2012. RetrievedJuly 3, 2012.
^"Griffith, Knotts Reunited".The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, TX. September 24, 1988. p. 47. RetrievedJuly 3, 2012.
^Ryanteaguebeck (October 27, 2008). Griffith also recorded commercials with Ron Howard endorsing the candidacy of Barack Obama in 2008"Perdue's 'Whistling' Ad from Griffith"Archived February 4, 2009, at theWayback Machine. (includes video; requiresAdobe Flash). Blog atThe News & Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2010.