Don Knotts

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Don Knotts (1975)

Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts (born July 21, 1924 in Morgantown , West Virginia , USA , † February 24, 2006 in Beverly Hills , California ) was an American actor and comedian who appeared frequently in roles in which he was one embodied the fate-plagued, nervous, mostly awkward everyday type.

Life

Knotts' grave in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles

During the Second World War , Don Knotts worked as an entertainer in the troop support . For his service in the war he was awarded the World War II Victory Medal . Upon his return, he completed a degree in theater studies , which he had previously started at West Virginia University , before initially appearing as a comedian in nightclubs and radio broadcasts . He also worked as a stage actor on Broadway . In 1956, an engagement as a television comedian on Steve Allen's Tonight Show brought him his artistic breakthrough. The small, slender Knotts embodied above all the type of everyday person plagued by fate.

In 1960 he hired Andy Griffith , whom he still knew from his work on Broadway and next to whom he had made his film debut in No Time for Sergeants in 1958 , as an actor for the Andy Griffith Show . For five years Knotts played the hyper-nervous Deputy Barney Fife, the cousin of the main character, in this comedy series about the work of a sheriff in a small town in the southern United States. For this role, which made him one of the most popular television comedians of the time, Knotts was awarded a total of five Emmy awards.

In 1970 he received his own, albeit short-lived, television show with The Don Knotts Show . In the following years he appeared in rather moderately successful comedies and gave guest appearances in various television series. It wasn't until 1979 that he made a comeback with two women in the sitcom Jack of Hearts . Knotts played as Ralph Furley from the third year of the hit series until the end of 1984, the suspicious and hysterical landlord of the three main characters (including John Ritter ). After that, his guest roles became more numerous again. Together with his colleague Tim Conway , he formed a successful comedian duo in many films and television productions , whose image Knotts and Conway mercilessly parodied their hobby in guest appearances in television series such as Mord ist . In addition, Knotts u. a. the recurring role of Les Calhoun in his old friend Andy Griffith's Matlock legal series .

In addition, Knotts played mostly comical roles, including a. in Stanley Kramer's society satire A totally, totally crazy world (next to Spencer Tracy ), next to Doris Day in Eine zuviel im Bett , in a series of Walt Disney comedies such as Die Breadknödel-Gang (1975) or The Great Beetle in the Monte Carlo Rally (1977), as a television technician next to Reese Witherspoon in Pleasantville - Too good to be true and next to a posse of American stars (including Burt Reynolds , Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. ) in On the Highway all hell is going on .

In addition, Knotts lent his voice to a variety of cartoon characters, including in his last production - as "Mayor of Vogelwitz" in the Disney comedy Heaven and Chicken .

Filmography

Web links

Commons : Don Knotts  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Knotts, Don
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Knotts, Jesse Donald (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH July 21, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Morgantown , West Virginia
DATE OF DEATH February 24, 2006
Place of death Beverly Hills , California