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Don Knotts signed anxious autographs when he was in character as the ''nervous man''
"I’ve learned to give folks what they expect," Knotts said.
Don Knotts was a simple man, but in that simplicity, there was genius.
For years, Knotts made audiences laugh with the character of Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. After the actor left the show in 1965, he began a successful stint in film, starring in movies like The Incredible Mr. Limpett (1965) and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966).
Though many of his films, Knotts retained the same “nervous man” persona that he had cultivated early on in his career. During an interview with The Montgomery Advisor, Knotts admitted that though he played the character well on screen, he drew inspiration from real life.
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The persona made Knotts a star, and fueled his career for years. He was also so devoted to the character of the nervous man that he even signed autographs to fans in a “nervous script.”
“I’ve learned to give folks what they expect,” Knotts said during an interview with the Laredo Morning Times. “From me, they just wouldn’t believe anything boldly forthright, the way I naturally write, so I try to give them a signature in the character.”
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