R.I.P. Andy Griffith

UPDATE to include Ron Howard's reaction: North Carolina's WITN News is reporting that legendary TV and movie actor, director, producer, singer, and writer Andy Griffith died this morning in his Dare County home, according to former University of North Carolina President Bill Friday and a close friend of the actor. Griffith was 86. The native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, lived on Roanoke Island. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film, A Face In The Crowd (1957) before he became better known for his television roles as the folksy Southerner who was the sheriff or lawyer people always wanted and the father figure people rarely had. He made acting look easy but in fact he was a consumate professional widely liked by the Hollywood community. Griffith  also became a Grammy Award-winning Southern gospel singer and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush.

Ron Howard has not heard from Andy Griffith's family yet and so cannot confirm the Hollywood legend's passing. But the prominent director and producer knew that Griffith 'has not been well for some time'. About Griffith, who played Howard's father on The Andy Griffith Show, Howard told me exclusively: 'His love of creating, the joy he took in it whether it was drama or comedy or his music, was inspiring to grow up around. The spirit he created on the set of The Andy Griffith Show was joyful and professional all at once. It was an amazing environment. And I think it was a reflection of the way he felt about having the opportunity to create something that people could enjoy. It was always with respect and passion for the opportunity and really what it could offer people in a very unpretentious and earthy way. He felt he was always working in service of an audience he really respected and cared about. He was a great influence on me. His passing is sad. But he lived and a great rich life.'

Griffith was a regular on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s and then earned the title as 'America's Favorite Sheriff' on The Andy Griffith Show set in fictional Mayberry. The hit show ran from 1960-1968 propelling a handful of spin-off programs and launched the child acting career of prominent Hollywood director Ron Howard. Griffith also produced and starred in the 1986-1996 television legal series Matlock. MORE

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