He Almost Wasn’t on The Andy Griffith Show
After being on the Steve Allen Show, Knotts slowly began to get famous and recognized as the public was starting to see his unique and show-stopping sense of humor. He landed the legendary role as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show soon after his appearances on Steve Allen ended. But what people don’t know is that Knotts could have easily been fired from the show after its first episode.
Source: Photo by Wikipedia
Why? Because he began shooting without having signed a contract. Luckily, the show’s executive producer, Sheldon Leonard, let Knotts stick around when he saw how incredibly talented he was on-screen with Griffith. Knotts played Barney Fife, the deputy, and originally cousin of Sheriff Andy Taylor.