Andy Samuel Griffith was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer, and writer,[1] whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy-friendly personality, and his gruff but friendly voice, Griffith was a Tony Award nominee for two roles, and gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) and No Time for Sergeants (1958) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead roles of Andy Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) and Ben Matlock in the legal drama Matlock (1986–1995).
For Disney, he narrated the 1976 Disneyland Records album Frosty's Winter Wonderland, based on the Rankin/Bass TV special he also narrated for, and played evil genius General Rancor in the 1996 comedy Spy Hard.
A bust of Griffith is included in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Griffith also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Andy Griffith Show[]
The Andy Griffith Show featured several actors, who also appeared in and/or worked on Disney projects, including:
- Ron Howard (Opie)
- Don Knotts (Barney Fife)
- Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass)
- George Lindsey (Goober Pyle)
- Hal Smith (Otis Campbell)
References[]
- ↑ Press release (September 9, 2005). "Andy Griffith to Donate Personal Collection to UNC's Southern Historical Collection. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
