Andy Griffith

Actor / Comedian

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About

About this interview

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Andy Griffith (1926-2012) talks about his breakout comedy debut, "What It Was, Was Football" and his first success on Broadway in No Time for Sergeants. He recalls appearing on early television in The U.S. Steel Hour, The Steve Allen Show, and Playhouse 90. He fondly remembers his long association with Sheldon Leonard, as well as the creation, production, and eight-season run of The Andy Griffith Show. He also speaks of many television movies and miniseries he appeared in, and his successful crime series Matlock. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on May 5, 1998 in Manteo, NC.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"The second episode was called 'Manhunt' and I knew by that episode that Don should be the comic and I should play straight for him. That made all the difference. Then Mayberry became a living town. We had all the comic characters that came on, and I played straight for them. So Mayberry really was the star of 'The Andy Griffith Show.'"

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show

04:43

Andy Griffith on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show

02:37

Andy Griffith on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera

04:54

Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants", and on the first time he saw television

08:09

Andy Griffith on improving upon MatIock scripts

02:19

Andy Griffith on performing his early comedy act, including material about Shakespeare

03:43

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his early interest in and success with music, and on his parents; on radio and movies he enjoyed while growing up

On getting into performing; on his first time in front of an audience, and on becoming a "class clown"; on appearing in plays in Roanoke, VA

Chapter 2

On appearing in the play "Egypt Land", and on developing his comedy act; on performing his early comedy act, including material about Shakespeare; on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City

On appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants," and on the first time he saw television; on the production of "No Time for Sergeants" for The United States Steel Hour, and how it impacted his career

Chapter 3

On giving advice to Don Knotts; on starring in Elia Kazan's feature "A Face in the Crowd" and various other features; on appearing on various variety shows and on returning to Broadway in "Destry Rides Again"

On how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"; on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show; on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard

On The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben; on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera; on the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show

Chapter 4

On Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the CBS rural purge of 1971; on the use of music on The Andy Griffith Show, and on where ideas for the show came from; on the morality of The Andy Griffith Show, and on Ron Howard as "Opie Taylor"

On The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors; on the end of The Andy Griffith Show and the start of Mayberry RFD; on starring on various short-lived series and in the television movie Murder in Texas; on Return to Mayberry

On being cast on MatIock, and how television had changed since his first series; on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC; on his later music career

Chapter 5

On the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show; on the then-best of television, and on the then-future of television; on various people with whom he worked in his career

Shows

Andy Griffith Show, The

Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"

04:57

Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard

04:43

Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben

01:47

Andy Griffith on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera

04:54

Andy Griffith on the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show

01:36

Andy Griffith on Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the CBS rural purge of 1971

02:10

Andy Griffith on the use of music on The Andy Griffith Show and on where ideas for the show came from

03:14

Andy Griffith on the morality of The Andy Griffith Show and on Ron Howard as "Opie Taylor"

02:17

Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors

01:23

Andy Griffith on the end of The Andy Griffith Show and the start of Mayberry RFD

01:33

Andy Griffith on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show

02:37

Danny Thomas Show, The aka Make Room for Daddy

Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard

04:43

Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town

Andy Griffith on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City

04:18

Gomer Pyle - USMC

Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors

01:23

Matlock

Andy Griffith on being cast in MatIock, and how television had changed since his first series

03:42

Andy Griffith on improving upon MatIock scripts

02:19

Andy Griffith on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC

03:39

Andy Griffith on the end of Matlock

00:27

Murder in Texas

Andy Griffith on starring on various short-lived series and in the television movie Murder in Texas

02:37

Return to Mayberry

Andy Griffith on Return to Mayberry

01:01

United States Steel Hour, The

Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants", and on the first time he saw television

08:09

Andy Griffith on the production of "No Time for Sergeants" for The United States Steel Hour, and how it impacted his career

05:31

Topics

Television Industry

Andy Griffith on the then-best of television, and on the then-future of the television

01:49

Professions

Actor

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Andy Griffith on getting into performing

06:42

Performers

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Andy Griffith on getting into performing

06:42

Genres

Classic Anthology Series

Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants"

13:40

Comedy Series

Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show (Part 1)

18:57

Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show (Part 2)

14:33

Legal Dramas

Andy Griffith on starring on Matlock

10:09

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Andy Griffith on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City

04:17

People

Earle Hagen

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Andy Griffith on Earle Hagen

01:12

Ron Howard

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Andy Griffith on Ron Howard as "Opie Tayor" on The Andy Griffith Show

01:19

Elia Kazan

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Andy Griffith on starring in Elia Kazan's feature "A Face in the Crowd" and various other features

07:09

Don Knotts

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Andy Griffith on meeting Don Knotts

00:38

Andy Griffith on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife" on The Andy Griffith Show

00:50

Sheldon Leonard

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Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"

04:57

Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard

04:43

Andy Griffith on Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy Griffith Show

01:16

Jim Nabors

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Andy Griffith on Jim Nabors

01:53

Aaron Ruben

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Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben

01:47

Danny Thomas

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Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"

04:57

Andy Griffith on Danny Thomas

00:37