Andy Griffith Dead @ 86

Actor Andy Griffith, whose portrayal of a rural sheriff in one of the most popular TV show earned him the title of “America’s Favorite Sheriff,” died Tuesday morning at his home on Roanoke Island in Dare County, N.C. at approximately 7 am ET. At the request of his family, Griffith’s body was lowered into a grave on the island at about 11:30 am ET, less than 5 hours after his death. His portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on the Andy Griffith Show began in 1960 and ended in 1967, and in those seven years, Griffith worked his way into the hearts of millions on a television show that became so popular that when it ceased production, it was still No. 1 in the ratings (a feat matched only by I Love Lucy and Seinfeld). Audiences made the mistake of thinking Andy Griffith and Sheriff Andy Taylor were  one and the same. Don Knotts (Deputy Barney Fife) once said, “He was so good that he made it look natural. He was acting. It was a fine performance.” He was, in fact, a superb actor and perhaps his best performance was that of a villain. A Face in the Crowd, is a classic, and shows Griffith as the slimy media huckster “Lonesome Rhodes” with vivid and appalling life. Many people were shocked to find that Griffith was a solid liberal, and that he made a video for Obama with Ron Howard (Opie). He also made a pro-Obama health care ad. He was just a terrific American. 

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