Andy Griffith

Early career and breakthrough (1953–1959)

Griffith's early career was as a monologist. Assuming the character of an affable country parson, "Deacon Andy Griffith" delivered comic monologues such as "What It Was, Was Football", in which he described a football game from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the sport. The monologue was released as a single in 1953 on the Colonial Records label. Capitol Records acquired the master recording and reissued the record in December 1953. It became a hit, reaching number nine on Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores chart in 1954. The B-side of the original Colonial single featured the deacon explaining Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in the same rural dialect. Griffith made appearances on television variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show in 1954, where he performed his comic monologues.

Griffith made his television acting debut in March 1955 as Will Stockdale, a country boy drafted into the United States Air Force, in Ira Levin's television adaptation of No Time for Sergeants, broadcast on the anthology series The United States Steel Hour. He later made a second appearance on the series in Never Know the End (1958). Griffith reprised the role in Ira Levin's full-length stage adaptation of the same name, which opened on Broadway on October 20, 1955. The role earned him a Tony Award nomination for "Distinguished Supporting or Featured Dramatic Actor" at the 1956 Tony Awards, losing to Ed Begley. He also received the 1956 Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut in No Time for Sergeants. Griffith's performance also received positive reviews, including praise from theatre critic Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times.

In 1957, Griffith made his feature-film debut starring in A Face in the Crowd. He portrayed Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, a manipulative and power-hungry drifter who becomes a television personality and gains political influence. The film was directed by Elia Kazan, written by Budd Schulberg and co-starred Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa, and Lee Remick (in her film debut). Griffith also sang as part of his role in A Face in the Crowd. Griffith reprised his role as Will Stockdale in Warner Bros.' 1958 film adaptation of No Time for Sergeants, alongside Don Knotts, who also appeared in the Broadway production. The film influenced the later television sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show. Following the success of No Time for Sergeants, Warner Bros. cast Griffith in another military comedy, Onionhead (1958), in which he portrayed a US Coast Guard sailor.

Griffith's only other Broadway appearance was in the title role of the 1959 musical Destry Rides Again, co-starring Dolores Gray. The show, with a score by Harold Rome, ran for 472 performances between April 1959 and June 1960. Griffith was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical at the 1960 Tony Awards, losing to Jackie Gleason.

The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)

In February 1960, Griffith appeared as Sheriff Andy Taylor in an episode of Make Room for Daddy starring Danny Thomas. The episode, titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", featured Thomas's character being stopped for running a stop sign in Mayberry and served as a backdoor pilot for The Andy Griffith Show. Both shows were produced by Sheldon Leonard.

Following the backdoor pilot, Griffith began starring as Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show, which premiered on CBS on October 3, 1960. Set in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, the series followed Taylor, a widowed sheriff and town sage. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. From 1960 to 1965, the show co-starred Griffith's longtime friend Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife, Taylor's best friend and comedy partner. The show also starred child actor Ron Howard (then known as Ronny Howard), who played Taylor's son, Opie Taylor. Griffith never received a writing credit for the show, but contributed to the development of its scripts. Knotts won five Primetime Emmy Awards, while Frances Bavier won one in 1967. Griffith was never nominated for an Emmy Award during the show's run. Griffith sang in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and during the show's run, he also recorded country and gospel music, including a vocal version of the show's theme song titled "The Fishin' Hole".

In 1967, Griffith announced that he would leave The Andy Griffith Show after its eighth season to pursue a movie career and other projects. During the final season of the show, Ken Berry was introduced as widowed farmer Sam Jones, whose character gradually became the focus of the series in preparation for Griffith's departure. The series was succeeded by Mayberry R.F.D., which premiered on CBS on September 23, 1968, with Berry in the lead role and several cast members from The Andy Griffith Show returning. Griffith served as executive producer, reviewing scripts and providing input on a weekly basis. He also made guest appearances as Andy Taylor, including in the premiere episode, in which Taylor married Helen Crump. Griffith reprised his role alongside Knotts in the 1986 television film, Return to Mayberry, and also in the spin off series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., including the 1966 episode "Opie Joins the Marines". He later participated in reunion specials for The Andy Griffith Show in 1993 and 2003, the latter attracting more than 21 million viewers.

Other television series and films (1969–1985)

Griffith starred in less-successful television series such as Headmaster (1970), The New Andy Griffith Show (1971), Adams of Eagle Lake (1975), Salvage 1 (1979) and The Yeagers (1980). In 1972, he established his own production company Andy Griffith Enterprises. That year, he also guest-starred as George Carter in The Mod Squad episode "Big George". Alongside his television series work, Griffith appeared in several television films, including The Strangers in 7A (1972), Go Ask Alice (1973), Winter Kill (1974) and Pray for the Wildcats (1974). Griffith also played the villainous lawyer Horton Maddock in the television film Savages (1974), an adaptation of Robb White's 1972 novel Deathwatch.

In 1975, Griffith appeared alongside Jeff Bridges in the comedy film Hearts of the West, portraying Howard Pike, a former Western film star. Several of Griffith's television films during the 1970s were produced as pilots for proposed television series. The television film Winter Kill (1974) was developed as a series pilot and later reworked into Adams of Eagle Lake, which aired only two episodes in 1975. A year later, Griffith starred as prosecutor Gus Brenner in the television film Street Killing, and also played the Father in a television adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, directed by Stacy Keach.

In 1977, Griffith portrayed Police Chief Abel Marsh in two NBC television films, The Girl in the Empty Grave and Deadly Game, both intended as pilots for a proposed television series. Neither resulted in a series. He also appeared in several television miniseries, including Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), Centennial (1978–1979), Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and From Here to Eternity (1979). In Washington: Behind Closed Doors, he portrayed former president Esker Scott Anderson. Griffith also made guest appearances in, Hawaii Five-O (1972), Here's Lucy (1973) and The Bionic Woman (1976). Griffith continued to make guest appearances in television series, including Fantasy Island, in which he portrayed the historical figure Judge Roy Bean. He also appeared in episodes of Hotel and The Love Boat, which featured an appearance by Andy Warhol, who appeared as himself.

Griffith received his only Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1981 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special, for his role as the father of a murder victim in the television film Murder in Texas (1981). He received further praise for his portrayal of the murderous landowner John Wallace in Murder in Coweta County (1983), which co-starred Johnny Cash as Sheriff Lamar Potts. He also portrayed Justice Department attorney Victor Worheide in the NBC miniseries Fatal Vision (1984). In the Western comedy Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985), Griffith appeared alongside Tom Berenger as Colonel Ticonderoga, a wealthy cattle rancher and antagonist. He went on to portray Judge Julius Sullivan in the television film Crime of Innocence (1985), who sentences two teenage girls to jail for a minor offense.

Matlock and later appearances (1986–2009)

In 1986, Griffith returned to series television in the title role of Ben Matlock, an Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney, in the legal drama Matlock (1986–1995), which aired on NBC until 1992 and subsequently on ABC. Matlock was known for his Southern drawl and mannerisms and ability to win cases. Griffith also sang in several episodes of the series. The series also starred Nancy Stafford as attorney Michelle Thomas (1987–1992) and Clarence Gilyard Jr. as private investigator Conrad McMasters (1989–1993). During its first season (1986–1987) Matlock ranked 15th among American prime-time television programs in the Nielsen ratings, and the series received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning one, although Griffith was never nominated for his performance. He won a People's Choice Award in 1987 for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Program.

Griffith played an alcoholic father, Noah Talbot, in the television film Under the Influence (1986). He later starred alongside John Ritter in Gramps (1995), playing Jack MacGruder, a violent and manipulative grandfather who returns to his estranged son's life. He also played the villain General Rancor in the spy comedy-spoof Spy Hard (1996) starring Leslie Nielsen. During this period, Griffith recorded albums of classic Christian hymns for Sparrow Records. His 1996 album, I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns, was certified platinum by the RIAA,and won the Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards. Griffith also reprised his role as Ben Matlock in a two-part episode of Diagnosis: Murder in 1997. He later played Jake Peterson in the television film A Holiday Romance (1999) and the patriarch of a dysfunctional southern family in Daddy and Them (2001). Griffith's final guest-starring role was in the Dawson's Creek episode "A Winter's Tale" (2001).

In the feature film Waitress (2007), Griffith played Old Joe, the cantankerous owner of a diner where Keri Russell's character, Jenna, worked. Griffith appeared in country singer Brad Paisley's music video "Waitin' on a Woman" (2008). His last film appearance was the leading role in the independent romantic comedy Play the Game (2009), in which he played Grandpa Joe, a widower whose grandson encourages him to re-enter the dating world after a 60-year hiatus.

Friendships and professional relationships

Griffith's friendship with Don Knotts began in 1955 when they co-starred in the Broadway production of No Time for Sergeants. They later reunited on Matlock in 1988, when Knotts joined the series in a recurring role. In a January 2000 interview, Griffith said of Knotts, "The five years we worked together were the best five years of my life". They remained friends until Knotts's death in February 2006. Shortly before his death, Griffith traveled from his Manteo, North Carolina, home to visit Knotts at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Griffith and Ron Howard maintained a friendship after working together on The Andy Griffith Show. Griffith made a comedy cameo in an episode of Saturday Night Live on October 9, 1982, hosted by Howard, who had begun his directing career by that time. Following Griffith's death in 2012, Howard recalled the positive atmosphere he had created on the set of The Andy Griffith Show, describing him as a major influence on his career. In a 2016 interview with Us Weekly, Howard recalled Griffith encouraging his scriptwriting when he was seven years old. After one of Howard's suggestions was accepted, Griffith jokingly told him, "It's the first that was any damn good. Now let's rehearse!"

Political activities

In 1989, Griffith declined an invitation from Democratic Party officials to run against Republican senator Jesse Helms in North Carolina. In 2000, Griffith appeared in campaign advertisements endorsing Democratic Party candidate and then-North Carolina Attorney General Mike Easley for governor of North Carolina. Easley defeated former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot, receiving 52% of the vote to Vinroot's 46%. Griffith's endorsement was credited by some commentators with helping Easley's campaign, contributing to the election's nickname, the "Mayberry Miracle".

In October 2008, Griffith appeared with Ron Howard in a Funny or Die video endorsing Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. Griffith also appeared in television advertisements endorsing Democratic candidate Bev Perdue for governor of North Carolina the same year. He also spoke at Easley's inaugurations in 2001 and 2005. At Perdue's inauguration in 2009, he read a poem written by his wife, Cindi Knight. In July 2010, Griffith appeared in a television advertisement promoting changes to Medicare under the Affordable Care Act.

Name dispute

In 2006, William Harold Fenrick, a resident of Platteville, Wisconsin, legally changed his name to Andrew Jackson Griffith and unsuccessfully ran for sheriff of Grant County. Actor Andy Griffith subsequently sued Fenrick, alleging trademark infringement and invasion of privacy over his use of the name during the election campaign. On May 4, 2007, US District Court Judge John C. Shabaz dismissed Griffith's federal trademark claims, ruling that Fenrick's use of the name in a political campaign was protected as noncommercial speech. The court dismissed the remaining state-law claims without prejudice, leaving them unresolved.

Tributes and memorials

Film

Television