Don Knotts 100th birthday: 12 best movies and TV shows, ranked [PHOTOS]
In 1955, on the stage of Broadway’s Alvin Theater, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts first bonded as they co-starred in the stage production of “No Times for Sergeants,” cementing a friendship that continued when they were both asked to reprise their stage roles in the 1958 Mervyn LeRoy film. Years later, when Knotts happened to learn about a TV project starring Griffith as a small town sheriff, he called up his old friend and asked “Don’t you think Sheriff Andy Taylor ought to have a deputy?” Griffith loved the idea, and television history was made.
Thanks to Knotts’ impeccable comic skills, Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife became one of television’s most beloved characters, an peacekeeper with loads of insecurities which he tries to cover up with a show of bravado that is both hilarious and endearing. His brilliant comic performance earned Knotts five consecutive Emmy Awards, which was unmatched at the time.
More from GoldDerby
Grammys R&B contenders: More wins for SZA? Breakthrough for Normani and Tinashe?
Will 'Red, White and Royal Blue' win Emmy election for Best TV Movie?
SEE25 best ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ episodes, ranked
When his five-year contract was up, Knotts left the show for the movies, starring in a series of hit theatrical comedies. Along the way, he was paired up with fellow comic great Tim Conway, and together they appeared in six films and cemented their place as one of the great comic teams of the 1970s. Knotts later returned to television, joining the cast of the Top 10 sitcom “Three’s Company,” and eventually he reunited with his old pal Andy Griffith for 16 episodes of Griffith’s hit legal drama “Matlock.”
So on the occasion of what would have been his 100th birthday, let’s raise a glass and celebrate by counting down and ranking his 12 best performances in film and TV!
PREDICT the 2024 Emmy winners through September 15
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Launch Gallery: Don Knotts 100th birthday: 12 best movies and TV shows, ranked
Best of GoldDerby
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.