In real life, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts continued their friendship long after the end of the series.
For many, the “Andy Griffith Show” was a loveable escape into the friendship between a small-town sheriff and his deputy.
In real life, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts continued their friendship long after the end of the series.
Both actors were from a world that was a far cry from the quaint town of Mayberry. Griffith and Knotts grew up in the South and struggled through the Great Depression before making their way to the Broadway stage, where they finally met in the 1950s. The two formed a relationship that lasted until Knotts passed away in 2006.
In Daniel de Visé ’s book, “Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show,” de Visé explores what the duo’s on-screen friendship meant to viewers and what their bond off-screen was like, including how they dealt with fame and personal struggles.
As Knotts’ brother-in-law, de Visé gives readers an inside look into the world of Mayberry and previously unpublished interviews with those that were closest to Griffith and Knotts. Today de Visé talks with Larry Mantle about the men behind one of America’s favorite television duos.