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Andy Griffith, beloved Sheriff of Mayberry, has died

by sernabad

Andy Griffith, who charmed TV fans for seven years, as the gentle, soft-spoken widowed sheriff of Mayberry, Andy Taylor, died this morning at his Roanoke Island home in North Carolina.

Griffith's entree into acting was as a ruthless rising political powerhouse in the 1957 film A Face in the Crowd, which also starred, Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick. Griffith's character, Lonesome Rhodes, discovered in a drunk tank by a couple of talent scouts who use the media to launch his rise as a media star who eventually influences a presidential campaign.

A year later, Griffith brought his popular Broadway and TV role in the hilarious teleplay No Time for Sergeants to the silver screen in a movie by the same name (on order). Also starring in this film was Don Knotts; thus began a decades-long friendship with strong professional ties.

The Andy Griffith Show debuted in 1960. In addition to being the Sheriff, Griffith played devoted, wise single dad to motherless Opie, thus launching Ron Howard's long career in cinema, first as an actor, later as an award-winning director. Don Knotts was the hapless, goofy Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife.

Among Griffith's long filmography was a nine-year run as the wily, country lawyer, Ben Matlock, in Matlock.

Among Griffith's many awards was the 2005 Medal of Freedom, bestowed on him by President George W. Bush.

Griffith was 86 when he died.

Comments

So many people are dying this is overwhelming. R.I.P all of you dead people out there. You have made a difference in the world no matter how small it was. You are all great people.

My parents live near Mount Airy, North Carolina, which was the inspiration for Mayberry in the Andy Griffith Show.
RIP Matlock

sad...

RIP

I'm a very young fan of Andy ever since I saw a commercial for "Post Toasties" Cereal with him in it. I've heard his "I love to tell the story : 25 timeless hymns" CD multiple times (that's one way I've learned so many hymns!) On the day that he died, I was heart-broken. My mom and dad found out about it on the internet & mom waited until we both were home to tell me!

God bless you, Andy!

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