- Source of Wealth: Acting
- Birth Place: Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.
- Height: 1.69 m
- Full Name: Jesse Donald Knotts
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: July 21, 1924
- Ethnicity: American
- Occupation: Comic actor
- Education: Morgantown High School
- Children: 2
Jesse Donald, popularly known as Don Knotts, was born on 21st July 1924 in Morgantown, West Virginia. He was famous as an American comic actor. He became very famous by his role in the television show “The Andy Griffith Show”, which went on to become extremely popular. Don portrayed the character of “Barney Fife” in 1960’s. According to TV Guide, Don is among the 50 greatest television stars of all time. He was ranked at #27. This is of course a huge achievement considering the fact that thousands of people have performed on television till now. Many of them have been extremely talented too.
His role as Barney Fife in the sitcom “The Andy Griffith Show” has won Don as many as five “Emmy Awards”. He got his first role as an actor in the television show “Search for Tomorrow”, which lasted for two years. He became famous in 1956 on “Steve Allen’s” variety show. With increasing popularity, he got his own show eventually – “The Don Knotts Show” on the NBC channel. He appeared as a guest on the “Here’s Lucy”, and “The Bill Cosby Show” shows. Knotts have also done a mystery comedy film named “The Private Eyes” and a boxing comedy film “The Prize Fighter”. He had also acted in various Disney films as a co-star.
He married Kathryn Metz at first in 1947. The couple had two children. He married again, this time Loralee Czuchna in 1974. Finally, he married Frances Yarborough in 2002. Don died on 24th February 2006 due to respiratory and pulmonary complications. He is buried at the WestWood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. There is a statue of Don Knotts in Morgantown in West Virginia.