Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Born	Andy Samuel Griffith June 1, 1926(1926-06-01) Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 3, 2012(2012-07-03) (aged 86) Manteo, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Nationality	American
Education	Mount Airy High School
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Occupation	Actor, comedian, director, producer, singer (country, bluegrass & southern gospel), writer
Years active	1949–2012
Notable work	The Andy Griffith Show Matlock
Political party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Barbara Bray Edwards (m. 1949–1972, divorced) Solica Cassuto (m. 1975–1981, divorced) Cindi Knight (m. 1983–2012, his death)
Children	Son (dead), daughter

Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American stage, movie, and television actor. He also produced and directed. He was a singer and a writer. He starred in the 1957 movie A Face in the Crowd. He also starred in the 1958 movie No Time for Sergeants. His television series are The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock.

Early life

Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the father of two children. He was married three times.

Lawsuit

Griffith once had to sue a man named William Fenrick after Fenrick legally changed his name to Andy Griffith because Fenrick ran for town's sheriff. This angered Griffith, but soon afterwards the lawsuit was dropped. Fenrick lost the election for towns sheriff.

Health and death

In 1986, Griffiths suffered from Guillain–Barré syndrome and could not walk for 7 months. Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005. Griffith died on July 3, 2012 of a heart attack in Manteo, North Carolina, aged 86.

Movies

• A Face in the Crowd (1957)
• No Time for Sergeants (1958)
• Onionhead (1958)
• The Second Time Around (1961)
• Angel in My Pocket (1969)
• Hearts of the West (1975)
• Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985)
• Gramps (1995)
• Spy Hard (1996)
• Daddy and Them (2001)
• The Very First Noel (2006) (voice)
• Waitress (2007)
• Christmas Is Here Again (2007) (voice)
• Play the Game (2008)

Television

• Make Room For Daddy (1960; Andy and Opie Taylor were first introduced in season seven)
• The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)
• The Headmaster (1970–1971)
• The New Andy Griffith Show (1971; cancelled after 13 episodes)
• The Strangers In 7A (1972)
• Go Ask Alice (1973)
• Pray for the Wildcats (1974)
• Winter Kill (1974)
• Savages (1974)
• Adams of Eagle Lake (1975; cancelled after two episodes)
• Street Killing (1976)
• Six Characters in Search of an Author (1976)
• Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976) (voice)
• Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977)
• The Girl in the Empty Grave (1977)
• Deadly Game (1977)
• Centennial (1978; miniseries)
• Salvage 1 (1979; cancelled after 20 episodes)
• From Here to Eternity (1979; miniseries)
• Roots: The Next Generations (1979; miniseries)
• The Yeagers (1980; cancelled after two episodes)
• Murder in Texas (1981)
• For Lovers Only (1982)
• Murder in Coweta County (1983)
• The Demon Murder Case (1983)
• Fatal Vision (1984) (miniseries)
• Crime of Innocence (1985)
• Return to Mayberry (1986)
• Matlock (1986–1995)
• Under the Influence (1986)
• The Gift of Love (1994)
• Gramps (1995)
• Scattering Dad (1998)
• A Holiday Romance (1999)