• Andy Griffith was a famous actor and comedian
  • He had a long and successful career
  • Learn more about his life and career highlights below

Born June 1, 1926, actor and comedian Andy Griffith became interested in acting and music during high school. He was an active participant in his school's drama program and enjoyed learning how to play the trombone. 

After graduating from the University of North Carolina with a bachelor's in music, Andy began to teach music and drama full time. Around the same time, Andy began to write and after his monologue story titled What It Was, Was Football was released, it didn't take long for his acting career to take off!

Andy Griffith's Early Career

In 1955, Andy Griffith would get his first role on a one-hour television play titled No Time for Sergeants, a story about a country boy serving in the Air Force. The play was a huge success and Andy would reprise his role for the show's Broadway adaptation and later its film adaptation. 

Andy Griffith's film debut would come in 1957, however, with the drama A Face in the Crowd and one of his most famous roles as "Sheriff Andy Taylor" on CBS comedy series The Andy Griffith Show. The show was a hit success and ran for eight seasons! 

Andy Griffith's Later Years

In 1968, Andy Griffith decided to leave his show and would then take on his second biggest role as "Ben Matlock" in legal drama Matlock. The show ran for nine seasons and was nominated for multiple awards! In Andy's later years he would take on many film roles including Murder in Texas (1981), Spy Hard (1996), and Waitress (2007). 

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By the time Andy Griffith passed away from a heart attack at the age of 86, he had become a legend in Hollywood and the music industry, and he will be remembered for years to come! Andy leaves behind his third wife, actress Cindi Knight, and two children he adopted with his first wife, actress Barbara Edwards.