Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith
Griffith in a publicity photo for The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Born	Andy Samuel Griffith (1926-06-01)June 1, 1926 Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 3, 2012(2012-07-03) (aged 86) Manteo, North Carolina, U.S.
Burial place	Roanoke Island, North Carolina, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.Mus 1949
Occupation	Actor, comedian, producer, singer, writer, director, musician, teacher
Years active	1955–2012
Notable work	The Andy Griffith Show Matlock
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Barbara Bray Edwards (m. 1949; div. 1972) Solica Cassuto (m. 1973; div. 1981) Cindi Knight (m. 1983)
Children	2

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, the only child of Carl Lee Griffith and his wife, Geneva (née Nunn). 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 sued a man named William Fenrick after Fenrick legally changed his name to Andy Griffith because Fenrick ran for town sheriff. The use of his name angered Griffith, but soon afterwards the lawsuit was dropped. Fenrick lost the election.

Health and death

In 1986, Griffith 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)

Other websites

• Inventory of the Andy Griffith Papers, 1949–1997, in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Andy Griffith collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Andy Griffith on IMDb
• Andy Griffith at the TCM Movie Database
• Andy Griffith Discography, at MTV
• de Vise, Daniel (2015). Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic TV Show. New York City: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4767-4773-6.