DON KNOTTS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Don Knotts was born on July 21st, 1924 in Morgantown, West Virginia with the birth name Jesse Donald Knotts to parents, Elsie Moore and Jesse Knotts.  He was the youngest of four children and first became involved in working in the entertainment industry when he would perform as a ventriloquist.  After graduating from high school he decided to try and relocate to New York City and break into show business, however with not much success he returned to West Virginia and enrolled in College at West Virginia University.  He left college early when World War II broke out, and he chose to enlist in the United States Army.  

While he served in the army he enjoyed entertaining the troops and focused on comedy acts for them.  After competing his military service he returned back to college and earned a degree in theater.  He decided to give performing another try and relocated for a second time to New York City. 
 
Don began with finding work doing stand up comedy in a number of night clubs and even got a couple radio gigs.  In 1953 he was cast as a regular on the soap opera, "Search for Tomorrow" (1951) and soon was given his big break on the television show, "The Steve Allen Plymouth Show" (1956).
 
Later in 1959, he relocated to California following the, "Tonight Show" relocation and soon he was offered the role he is most famous, Deputy Barney Fife, on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960)  for which he was nominated for an Emmy award five times between 1961 and 1967 and he won each time.
  
When he signed a five year film contract with Universal Pictures he began appearing on the big screen in such feature films as, "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" (1964), "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966), "The Reluctant Astronaut" (1967), "The Shakiest Gun in the West" (1968), "The Love God?" (1969) and "How to Frame a Figg" (1971).
 
After his five year contract with Universal ended they did not renew him and he began making appearances on the occasional television series and on stage.  Things were slow in his career for quite a while but he then got his next most famous role on the television series, "Three's Company" playing Ralph Furley, the landlord.
 
Things picked up again for him after the show was cancelled even becoming a spin off into, "The Ropers".  Once that series cancelled he worked steadily on stage again and also did a number of voice over work for a variety of cartoons.  His last known work was in 2005 as the voice of, "Mayor Turkey Lurkey" in the film, "Chicken Little".  A year later, Don Knotts passed away on February 24th, 2006 in Los Angeles, California after suffering from pulmonary and respiratory complications.  
 
Don Knotts was married three times throughout his lifetime.  His first wife was Kathryn Metz whom he married in 1947 and had two children with before divorcing in 1964.  His second wife was Lara Lee Szuchna whom he married in 1974 but divorced in 1984.  His third and final wife was Frances Yarborough whom he married in 2002 and they were only together for four years before he passed away.
 
Don Knotts is buried in Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. 

 
Filmography

2006 Air Buddies 
2006 Hermie & Friends: To Share or Nut to Share 
2006 Hermie & Friends: Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp 
2005 That '70s Show 
2005 Chicken Little 
2005 Hermie & Friends: A Fruitcake Christmas 
2005 Hermie & Friends: Buzby, the Misbehaving Bee
2005 Fatherhood
2004 Hermie & Friends: Webster the Scaredy Spider
2004 Hermie & Friends: Flo the Lyin' Fly
2004 Hermie & Friends 
2003 Odd Job Jack
2003 Hermie: A Common Caterpillar
2002 Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights
2000 Quints
2000 Tom Sawyer 
1999 Jingle Bells 
1998 Pleasantville
1997 101 Dalmatians: The Series 
1997 Cats Don't Dance 
1996 Big Bully 
1994 Burke's Law
1993 Step by Step
1993 Garfield and Friends
1988-1992 Matlock
1992 Fish Police 
1991 Timmy's Gift: Precious Moments Christmas 
1990 Newhart
1988 She's the Sheriff 
1987 The Little Troll Prince
1987 Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night 
1987 What a Country
1979-1987 The Love Boat
1986 Return to Mayberry
1985 Inspector Gadget 
1979-1984 Three's Company 
1984 Cannonball Run II
1980 The Private Eyes
1979 The Prize Fighter
1979 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again 
1978-1979 Fantasy Island
1978 Hot Lead and Cold Feet 
1977 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo 
1977 Mule Feathers 
1976 The Late Summer Early Fall Bert Convy Show 
1976 Gus 
1976 No Deposit, No Return
1975 Laugh Back
1975 The Apple Dumpling Gang
1975 Harry and Maggie
1974 The Girl with Something Extra
1974 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
1973 I Love a Mystery
1973 Here's Lucy 
1972 Hallmark Hall of Fame 
1971 How to Frame a Figg 
1971 The New Andy Griffith Show 
1970 The Bill Cosby Show
1969 The Love God? 
1968 Mayberry R.F.D. 
1968 The Shakiest Gun in the West 
1960-1968 The Andy Griffith Show
1967 The Reluctant Astronaut 
1967 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 
1966 McHale's Navy
1966 The Ghost and Mr. Chicken 
1961-1965 The Red Skelton Hour 
1964 The Joey Bishop Show
1964 The Incredible Mr. Limpet
1963 Move Over, Darling 
1963 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 
1961 The New Steve Allen Show 
1961 The Last Time I Saw Archie 
1960 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis 
1957-1960 The Steve Allen Plymouth Show
1960 Wake Me When It's Over
1958 No Time for Sergeants 
1958 The Bob Cummings Show
1953-1955 Search for Tomorrow