Even 20 years after his passing, Don Knotts is still widely beloved and remembered for his iconic work on “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Three’s Company,” and so much more.
While “The Andy Griffith Show” made Don Knotts a household name, the actor longed to spread his wings and explore other creative avenues. In a new interview, his daughter, Karen Knotts, spoke up about the difficult decision to leave the show he knew and loved so well.
Don Knotts Wanted to Branch Out Beyond Barney Fife
Don Knotts married Kathryn Metz in 1947. They later divorced in 1964. They welcomed two children, Thomas and Karen. Today, 72-year-old Karen Knotts is a stand-up comic, following her father into show business.
Though the Knotts family had a lot of respect for the entertainment industry, Karen Knotts remembers that it also cost them quality time. Don Knotts was now starring as Barney Fife, an iconic character still widely remembered today.
“We didn’t see him a lot, because he worked 10, 12 hours a day. And when he was home, he was always holed up in his room working on his lines and stuff like that,” the comedienne shared with Woman’s World.
Don Knotts and Andy Griffith both agreed to do “The Andy Griffith Show” for five seasons. After that ended, Griffith wanted to continue with the show, while Knotts opted to pursue other adventures. Universal offered him a five-picture contract, which he couldn’t refuse.
“Put yourself in his place,” Karen Knotts continued. “That show was hard, hard work. Then think of the character, and also the energy that it took to play him. Imagine the intensity, plus the level of perfection that was being strived for. Then, all of a sudden, you get offered a five-picture deal to be a star in your own right and make all the decisions.”
The Actor Always Looked Forward to His Next Big Project
After starring in films such as “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” and “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,” Don Knotts went on to star in “Three’s Company” as the bumbling landlord, Ralph Furley.
“What was wonderful about the show is that it introduced him to a whole new generation who was discovering him,” Karen Knotts fondly remembered. “That was such a wonderful thing because he just kept coming back. It’s like ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ touched one generation, ‘The Apple Dumpling Gang’ touched another and ‘Three’s Company’ reached a whole different audience. So in every phase of his career, he became known to a new age group of people. It was fantastic.”
No matter how successful Don Knotts was in a particular role, he always kept his eyes on the horizon.
“He just looked at things as one project or another,” Knotts added. “He never was one to go back and look at stuff from the past. In fact, I don’t remember ever seeing him watch ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’ He loved the show, but he would just look at each new project for what it was and take it for what it was. And dive into that particular project. That’s just how he functioned.”
“The Andy Griffith Show” is available to stream on Paramount+.
