‘The Andy Griffith Show’: Andy’s real-life anger issues are brought into the series
The Andy Griffith Show is a classic television series, a series set in the fictional town of Mayberry. Even though the series aired decades ago, many fans still watch it when they want to relax and unwind and enjoy the sights and sounds of a much simpler time. Headlining the show is series star Andy Griffith, who plays Sheriff Andy Taylor. However, Griffith seemed calm and happy while on the show, with some reports suggesting that the star had a bit of a temper behind the scenes.
How did Andy Griffith become famous?
Andy Griffith’s promotional photo for the ABC drama ‘Winter Kill’.
Andy Griffith’s promotional photo for the ABC drama ‘Winter Kill’. | Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
Griffith was born in North Carolina in 1926. The only child of Carl Lee Griffith and Geneva Griffith, young Griffith was raised with very few material possessions.
However, his father still worked hard to give his family a better life, and when Griffith was just a few years old, his family was able to buy their own home. Griffith was interested in music from a very young age and nurtured his ability to perform in front of his classmates at school.
As he grew older, Griffith continued to invest time in his entertainment career. After graduating from college in 1949, Griffith began pursuing it seriously, working as a stand-up and television actor. His big breakthrough role was in the 1958 film No Time for Sergeants, co-starring famous comedian Don Knotts.
In 1960, Griffith appeared in an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, playing a scrawny county sheriff. The episode led to the creation of a brand new series, The Andy Griffith Show, featuring Griffith in the lead role of Sheriff Andy Taylor.
Also starring Don Knotts, Ronny Howard and Frances Bavier, The Andy Griffith Show quickly became popular with viewers.
The series ran until 1968 and spawned several spin-offs and cast reunions. To this day, 50 years after the show went off the air, it remains hugely popular with audiences of all ages – even those who weren’t even alive when the show debuted. However popular The Andy Griffith Show is, there are still some interesting stories about filming the show, stories that claim that Griffith himself had an excessive temper.
Griffith continued to star in several popular television shows after The Andy Griffith Show ended, including Matlock. While Griffith remained a beloved figure and television icon until his death in 2012, some reports suggested that Griffith had a short temper and showed it off at times.
One story says that during filming of the second series, Griffith became so angry about something on set that he ended up punching a wall, causing his injured hand to be bandaged. In the episodes “The County Nurse” and “Aunt Bee and the Warden”, viewers can see bandages that are explained as being due to some injuries Sheriff Taylor suffered in a fight with some bad guys .
Researchers have also documented Griffith’s struggles with alcoholism and failed marriages, revealing that the actor “could have such a fiery temper.” Daniel de Visé, a writer who wrote a book about Griffith, also detailed how “he punched the car window and put his fist through the door.”
He suggested that many of Griffith’s anger problems could be traced back to his difficult childhood. Although no one really knows the root of Griffith’s anger, the fact remains that he was responsible for one of the most beloved television shows of all time.