Don Knotts
| Don Knotts | |
|---|---|
Knotts in 1975
|
|
| Born |
Jesse Donald Knotts July 21, 1924 Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 2006 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Resting place | Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Alma mater | West Virginia University |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1953–2006 |
| Known for | |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American comedic actor, best known as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy awards. He also played Luther Heggs in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet, in which he plays a talking fish for the majority of the film. He also portrayed Ralph Furley in Three's Company.
In 1996, TV Guide ranked him #27 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.
Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, the youngest of four sons born to William Jesse Knotts and his wife, Elsie Luzetta Knotts (née Moore). Knotts' parents were married in Spraggs, Pennsylvania, just north of Morgantown. Knotts' paternal ancestors emigrated from England to America in the 17th century, originally settling in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Don's brothers were: Willis, William, and Ralph.
Knotts' father William Knotts was a farmer. Don's mother was 40 at the time of his birth. Don's father suffered from mental illness; he had a nervous breakdown due to the stress of Don's birth. Afflicted with schizophrenia and alcoholism, William sometimes terrorized Don with a knife, causing the boy to turn inward at an early age. William died of pneumonia when Don was 13 years old. Don and his three brothers were then raised by their mother, who ran a boarding house in Morgantown. She died in 1969 at age 84. Her son William Earl "Shadow" Knotts (1910–1941) preceded her in death in 1941, at age 31. They are buried in the family plot at Beverly Hills Memorial Park, in Morgantown. Don Knotts is a sixth cousin of Ron Howard, a co-star on The Andy Griffith Show.
...
Wikipedia