Griffith, Andy, 1926-2012

Andy Griffith was born in Mount Airy, N.C., on 1 June 1926. He attended the University of North Carolina and was graduated in 1949. As an actor, he quickly gained fame through his portrayal of an illiterate hillbilly in the Broadway and film versions of No Time for Sergeants (1955). He also used this character in monologues such as What it Was Was Football and in appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show . Although he continued to appear in films ( A Face in the Crowd in 1956 and Onionhead in 1958), it was through his portrayal of a small-town sheriff in The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968) on television that Griffith achieved legendary status, particularly in the South. Griffith also starred in such short-lived television series as The Headmaster (1970) and The New Andy Griffith Show (1970). His dramatic series Matlock was successful in the late 1980s and 1990s.

From the guide to the Andy Griffith Papers, 1949-1997, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)

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