The Truth About Andy Griffith and Don Knotts’ Real-Life Friendship

Even the strongest friendships go through the occasional rough patch. According to Daniel de Visé, author of Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic TV Show, real-life best friends Andy Griffith and Don Knotts experienced a few of those.

Knotts and Griffith would often take their wives out on double dates. Andy, who was even funnier than his on-screen counterpart, often made Knotts’ third wife Francey crack up. De Visé suggested that Knotts didn’t always take his friend’s ability to make his wife laugh in stride.

“I’m the funny one!” Knotts fumed.

However, that wasn’t the only time envy would rear its ugly head and threaten the two pals’ bond.

Knotts won 5 Emmys for his portrayal of pint-sized deputy Barney Fife. Though Andy would stay on the show for 3 more seasons after Knotts’ departure, he never won so much as a single Emmy.

Naturally, Griffith found himself in the clutches of the green-eyed monster.

Did Jealousy Tear the Two Friends Apart?

While jealousy can easily wrench even the closest friends apart, that was never the case for Griffith and Knotts. Griffith’s lack of an Emmy might have been a thorn in his side, but he didn’t begrudge Don’s five-time accomplishment. In fact, he wanted his friend to get all the laughs.

“Andy found Barney funny. I think that helped, too,” Knotts once said. “I could see sometimes when Andy’s eyes were just trying to keep from laughing, which would help me try and make it even funnier.” He even went on to praise his friend even further, stating that Griffith was “the ultimate straight man. He was the best you could imagine.”

The two remained friends until Knotts died from lung cancer in 2006. According to de Visé, Griffith was Knotts’ last visitor who wasn’t a family member. “Don was special. There’s nobody like him. I loved him very much,” Griffith later stated.

Griffith passed away from a heart attack in 2012, over six years after his lifelong friend.

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