Despite the fame and notoriety that starring on The Andy Griffith Show brought him, Don Knotts previously admitted that he wasn't sure if a life on television was made for him.

Though today he's known as bumbling deputy Barney Fife, Knotts admitted during an interview with The Birmingham News that working on a weekly television series was incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally.

"It's a pretty tough life, and I feel if I never did another one, it wouldn't worry me," said Knotts.

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But with hard work comes hefty rewards, and Knotts was able to reap the success of The Andy Griffith Show long after he had left the series. Even today, fans flock to the show's reruns, longing for a sense of security and nostalgia.

"It had something people like to see," said Knotts. "It had a lot of good quality and laid-back comedy. And I just think there was a lot of talent on that show. Everybody was really quite good, and it was well-conceived and well-written."

But Knotts didn't just want to live in the past; he also felt that in the future, there was room on television for shows like The Andy Griffith Show that ignited the same feelings in audiences everywhere.

"There's plenty of room for shows like The Griffith show," said Knotts. "With these new, syndicated shows showing up on cable, I think you're going to see more people try that. The networks have their own ideas about what shows should be like, but they're not going to be as much in control as they used to be. They're going to have more competition."