Actor

Don Knotts

Don Knotts first appeared on television as a stand-up comic on The Garry Moore Show, where he developed his signature nervous demeanor. His stint on The Steve Allen Show helped Knotts establish his career. Soon after, Knotts and Andy Griffith appeared together in both the screen and stage versions of No Time for Sergeants. This meeting was Knotts's springboard into television immortality on The Andy Griffith Show.

Knotts won five Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Deputy Barney Fife. He left the series after five years to pursue a film career. The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and How to Frame a Figg are just a few among his comic film masterpieces. A brief return to TV as the host of The Don Knotts Show proved less than successful, though his 1979 debut on Three's Company as the excitable Mr. Furley gave Knotts a whole new generation of TV fans.

In 1998, he played a key role in the acclaimed movie Pleasantville and in 1999; the notoriously shy and private Knotts published his autobiography, Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known. Don Knotts passed away on Friday, February 24, 2006. He was 81.