The Sixties had a lot to offer in the world of sitcoms, but one show rose above all the rest: The Andy Griffith Show brought audiences on the adventures of Sheriff Andy and his son Opie in the small town of Mayberry. Of course, a cast of equally loveable characters was required to round out the fictional town, and Don Knotts stepped up as deputy to the leading man.
Read on to see what Barney Fife was up to before finding sitcom stardom, who won the heart of Mayberry's deputy off-screen and what his two children have been up to since.
© NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesDon Knotts got his big break on '50s soap 'Search for Tomorrow'
Who is Don Knotts?
Born Jesse Donald Knotts on 21 July 1924, Don Knotts found fame as an actor and comedian. Fifties soap opera Search for Tomorrow provided a solid start for his TV career in 1953, with Don starring as Wilbur Peterson as a series regular.
Following his jaw-dropping early success, Don went on to have memorable roles in Three's Company and, of course, The Andy Griffith Show.
© Bettmann Archive via Getty ImagesDon Knotts had particularly memorable roles on 'Three's Company' and 'The Andy Griffith Show'
Sitcom success
Deputy Barney Fife didn't lack in enthusiasm as the bumbling but beloved policeman working under Andy Taylor – and earned Don Knotts five Primetime Emmy Awards in the process. Regularly seen out on patrol, Barney kept a single bullet in his shirt pocket, more than sufficient for the sleepy town of Mayberry.
Don found further fame as eccentric landlord Ralph Furley in Three's Company, always dressed in a loud leisure suit and attempted ladies' man persona.
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesDon Knotts was married three times, wedding second wife Loralee Czuchna in 1974
Married life
Ralph Furley might not have been a ladies man, but Don Knotts didn't lack in romance. He first tied the knot in 1947, wedding Kathryn Metz. The couple split in 1964, and 10 years later he married Loralee Czuchna.
Don and Loralee were married until 1983, and it wasn't until 2002 that Don walked back down the aisle to await Frances Yarborough, whom he remained with until his death in 2006.
© Getty ImagesKaren Knotts grew up around the Mayberry crew and even appeared with them on screen
Karen Knotts
Born 2 April 1954, Karen is the daughter of Don Knotts and his first wife Kathryn Metz. She's inherited her dad's talent for comedy, developing one-woman show Tied Up in Knotts! and penning a book with the same name, both focussing on stories from her father's life.
She's also been involved with the Mayberry gang on screen, appearing in Return to Mayberry as Opie's receptionist and appearing in modern-day spin-off Mayberry Man.
© Getty ImagesTom Knotts prefers to keep a lower profile
Thomas Knotts
Thomas Knotts is the second child of Don and his first wife Kathryn, born in February 1957. Unlike his sister Karen, he's struggled with the fame-by association that comes with a famous parent, explaining in her memoir: “On the one hand, I like the attention and that it makes me unique and stand out. But I felt that in my field of engineering, my colleagues would take me less seriously. I still feel that way, truth be told.”
But these concerns don't seem to have impeded his success, with Tom reportedly working as an electrical engineer and earning a master's degree from Berkeley. He's also found fulfilment in his personal life, welcoming a son in 1993 with his wife Cathy.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesDon Knotts died after a battle with lung cancer in 2006
The loss of a sitcom star
The sitcom world mourned a huge loss on 24 February 2006 when Don Knotts passed away at the age of 81. As his battle with lung cancer came to an end, Don was joined by co-star and friend Andy Griffith, wife Frances and his two children.
With five Primetime Emmys and a Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame, Don had plenty to be proud of in his professional life, as well as his personal legacy.
