Best TV actors from each state
By Jeremy Dick
Don Knotts (West Virginia)
We’re going back several decades for this one. But even though this actor has left us long ago with his best work airing way back when, chances are we all know who he is. His iconic look and voice solidify him as one of the most unique television actors in history.
I am talking about Don Knotts, best known as the bumbling policeman Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. Knotts would earn five Emmy Awards for this role, a part which is still airing on TV today through syndicated reruns. Often, when people bring up The Andy Griffith Show, others will think of Knotts before they think of Andy Griffith himself.
Later, Knotts would have another recurring role on a sitcom. He was the landlord, Ralph Furley, on the popular sitcom series Three’s Company. But the actor would also appear in dozens of other TV shows and feature films for the rest of his life.
Knotts TV performances were recognized in an issue of TV Guide ranking the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. The character actor took the #27 spot on the list. Any time you’re talking about the best television stars ever, you’ve got to have Don Knotts somewhere on that list.