Andy Griffith

**Andy Samuel Griffith** (June 1, 1926  – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer and writer. He starred in the 1957 movie _A Face in the Crowd_. He also starred in the 1958 movie _No Time for Sergeants_. His television series are _The Andy Griffith Show_ and _Matlock_.

## Early life

Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the only child of Carl Lee Griffith and his wife, Geneva (née Nunn). He studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the father of two children. He was married three times.

## Lawsuit

Griffith once sued a man named William Fenrick after Fenrick legally changed his name to _Andy Griffith_ because Fenrick ran for town sheriff. The use of his name angered Griffith, but soon afterwards the lawsuit was dropped. Fenrick lost the election.

## Health and death

In 1986, Griffith suffered from Guillain–Barré syndrome and could not walk for 7 months. Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005. Griffith died on July 3, 2012 of a heart attack in Manteo, North Carolina, aged 86. He also had hypertension and coronary heart disease.

## Movies

- _A Face in the Crowd_ (1957)
- _No Time for Sergeants_ (1958)
- _Onionhead_ (1958)
- _The Second Time Around_ (1961)
- _Angel in My Pocket_ (1969)
- _Hearts of the West_ (1975)
- _Rustlers' Rhapsody_ (1985)
- _Gramps_ (1995)
- _Spy Hard_ (1996)
- _Daddy and Them_ (2001)
- _The Very First Noel_ (2006) (voice)
- _Waitress_ (2007)
- _Christmas Is Here Again_ (2007) (voice)
- _Play the Game_ (2008)

## Television

- _Make Room For Daddy_ (1960; Andy and Opie Taylor were first introduced in season seven)
- _The Andy Griffith Show_ (1960–1968)
- _The Headmaster_ (1970–1971)
- _The New Andy Griffith Show_ (1971; cancelled after 13 episodes)
- _The Strangers In 7A_ (1972)
- _Go Ask Alice_ (1973)
- _Pray for the Wildcats_ (1974)
- _Winter Kill_ (1974)
- _Savages_ (1974)
- _Adams of Eagle Lake_ (1975; cancelled after two episodes)
- _Street Killing_ (1976)
- _Six Characters in Search of an Author_ (1976)
- _Frosty's Winter Wonderland_ (1976) (voice)
- _Washington: Behind Closed Doors_ (1977)
- _The Girl in the Empty Grave_ (1977)
- _Deadly Game_ (1977)
- _Centennial_ (1978; miniseries)
- _Salvage 1_ (1979; cancelled after 20 episodes)
- _From Here to Eternity_ (1979; miniseries)
- _Roots: The Next Generations_ (1979; miniseries)
- _The Yeagers_ (1980; cancelled after two episodes)
- _Murder in Texas_ (1981)
- _For Lovers Only_ (1982)
- _Murder in Coweta County_ (1983)
- _The Demon Murder Case_ (1983)
- _Fatal Vision_ (1984) (miniseries)
- _Crime of Innocence_ (1985)
- _Return to Mayberry_ (1986)
- _Matlock_ (1986–1995)
- _Under the Influence_ (1986)
- _The Gift of Love_ (1994)
- _Gramps_ (1995)
- _Scattering Dad_ (1998)
- _A Holiday Romance_ (1999)

## Other websites

- Inventory of the Andy Griffith Papers, 1949–1997, in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Andy Griffith Discography , at MTV

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Andy Griffith
- **image**: Andy Griffith Andy Griffith Show 1960.jpg
- **caption**: Griffith in a publicity photo for _The Andy Griffith Show_ (1960)
- **birth name**: Andy Samuel Griffith
- **birth place**: Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.
- **death place**: Manteo, North Carolina, U.S.
- **burial place**: Roanoke Island, North Carolina, U.S.
- **nationality**: American
- **alma mater**: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.Mus 1949
- **spouse**:

- **children**: 2
- **years active**: 1955–2012