Don Knotts called playing Barney Fife ''the richest experience of my life.''

For Knotts, nothing compared to playing Barney.

CBS Television Distribution

Not many of us have the opportunity to feel like a kid again, but Don Knotts was given that joy nearly every week when he played Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show for five seasons before leaving for the big screen. He then became a star of films with movies like The Reluctant Astronaut, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

With a thoroughly successful career in film and television, one might expect it would be difficult for Knotts to pick out a favorite.

According to an interview with the Associated Press, Knotts not only had a favorite career moment, but he also claimed it as one of the favorite memories of his entire life.

Knotts called playing Barney Fife "the richest experience of my life."

The actor likened the experience of playing Barney Fife to acting like a child. "When he was happy, he was happy all over," he said. "He didn't hide anything. When he got angry, he was furious."

On the set of The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts was also able to work with some of his closest friends, including Andy Griffith himself.

During an interview with The Daily News, Griffith said that he actually believed that he knew Knotts better than anyone else did.

"We're more than friends," Griffith said. "I think I'm closer to Don than anyone else. We've worked side by side ten hours a day for years."

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2 Comments

Hpsnape1957 14 days ago
I can't think of any other actor who could have portrayed Barney Fife like Don Knotts. The Andy Griffith Show was not only entertaining and funny, it also taught morals and values, seriously lacking in today's shows.
FrankensteinLover 14 days ago
I love that they remained best friends til the End. Don was a comic genius and he is missed.
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