Don Knotts became one of television’s most beloved comedy stars through his unforgettable performance as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. Behind the scenes, however, the actor had some strong opinions about what it was like to share a set with young performers.
According to MeTV, although Don Knotts wasn’t particularly fond of child actors in general, he made one major exception. Years after working alongside a young Ron Howard, Knotts praised his former co-star for behaving very differently from many of the other children he encountered during his career.
Don Knotts Said Ron Howard Was Different From Other Child Actors
In his 1999 memoir, Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known, Knotts described Howard as the “best-behaved child actor” he had ever worked with. Howard played Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and was only a child when the classic sitcom began. Yet Knotts remembered him as focused and professional whenever the cameras started rolling.
Knotts credited much of Howard’s behavior to his father, Rance Howard, and the close relationship they shared. According to the actor, Ron remained diligent and concentrated while working. Away from the camera, he never caused unnecessary distractions. That experience stood out to Knotts because, as he bluntly wrote in his memoir, “Most kid actors, quite frankly, are a pain in the neck.”
His Respect For Ron Howard Continued Long After The Show
Knotts encountered plenty of other young performers after leaving The Andy Griffith Show. Ironically, several of his later roles came in family-friendly movies that regularly placed him alongside child actors. Still, his experience working with Howard clearly left a much more positive impression than most.
Their connection also lasted beyond Howard’s childhood acting years. Don Knotts remained complimentary of the future director as an adult, noting that Howard grew into the same kind person he remembered from the sitcom. For Knotts, that came as no surprise. The professionalism and character he witnessed when Howard was young had already shown him the kind of man his former co-star might become.