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Don Knotts: ''Andy [Griffith] gave me my big break.''
A talented actor, Knotts remained thankful to his friend.
A good actor wins awards. However, a good friend knows when those awards are meant to be shared.
Don Knotts was both a good actor and an even better friend. The actor starred in The Andy Griffith Show as deputy sheriff Barney Fife for five seasons.
During that time, he worked alongside his co-star and friend, Andy Griffith. For his portrayal of Fife, Knotts won five Emmy Awards during his time on the series.
Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!
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*available in most MeTV markets"That son of a gun," joked Griffith during an interview with the Daily News. "He won five Emmys. I'm the best straight man he ever had."
After Knotts left the series, he frequently returned as a guest star before the series finally ended in 1968 with a total of eight seasons. After that, Knotts reprised the role in reunions like the 1986 telemovie, Return to Mayberry.
Despite all of the accolades he won for his portrayal of Barney Fife, Knotts remained a humble man; he was more than willing to share his victories with his good pal. "Andy gave me my big break," Knotts said.
In fact, Knotts even hoped to share his Emmy awards with Griffith.
"You should have come up there with me on stage when I got them," Knotts told Griffith. "You deserved them as much as I did."
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