Actor Andy Griffith, the folksy star of "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock", has died at the age of 86. NBC's Mark Barger reports.
Beloved actor Andy Griffith, 86, died peacefully this morning at his coastal home in Manteo, North Carolina. No cause of death has been given.
Griffith's career spanned more than a half-century on stage, film and television. But you probably remember him as the wise sheriff in The Andy Griffith Show and/or the rumpled defense lawyer in the TV series Matlock.
But did you know about his political activities?
Back in 1984, Griffith campaigned on behalf of Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt when Hunt challenged arch conservative U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina). Griffith even recorded a 30-second commercial supporting Hunt.
"Do you know what a North Carolina Democrat is?” Griffith said in the ad. "It's somebody that sometimes votes Democratic and sometimes votes Republican – but always votes for the best man."
Hunt still lost, but five years later in April 1989, Griffith himself was urged to challenge Helms. In fact, Griffith led Helms 48-39% in a test poll by Mason-Dixon.
Griffith, however, declined to run in a June 6, 1989, call to state Sen. Marc Basnight.
"Andy told me, "I'm an actor. That's all I've ever known and all I've ever done,'" Basnight said at the time. By the way, Helms was elected to a fourth term in November 1990.
Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005.
Griffith's political activist resurfaced in a big way three years later, when he and actor/director Ron "Opie" Howard reprised their Mayberry roles in an online video Ron Howard’s Call to Action. The two encouraged people to vote and endorsed Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Watch the video:
North Carolina went Democratic for the first time in 32 years and Obama-Biden won the election.
Griffith also recorded TV ads for North Carolina governors Mike Easley (2000/2004) and Bev Perdue (2008) and spoke at the inauguration ceremonies of both.
Here's an ad from actor Andy Griffith endorsing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue:
Most recently, in 2010, Griffith starred in an ad promoting Medicare and touting Obamacare.
"This year, like always, we'll have our guaranteed benefits and with the new health care law, more good things are coming," Griffith said. "I think you're going to like it."
Watch the video:
Griffth died just five days after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act.
Rest in peace, Andy, rest in peace.
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Andy's Returned to Mayberry RIP.
Good ole Andy.....
Andy Griffith, ahead of his time.
rest in peace...
R.I.P. - Bud --- I Still Enjoy watching those old re-runs from time-to-time --- It Takes Me back to Much Simpler times - When the USA Wasnt Such a Crazy MESS - As It IS Today !!!
MD the SO and I watched "No time For Sargents" just last month were Andy played a hick from the sticks serving in the air force, I always liked that movie the best out of all of what Andy did in his years of acting.
R.I.P Andy...
I grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show, and wished you were my dad. RIP Andy you will be missed.
Andy Taylor (Sheriff of Mayberry) had the right idea: treat everyone with respect, dignity and equality, settle disputes as amicably as possible, don't draw a gun unless you're protecting someone vulnerable, go fishing whenever possible... don't make a fuss... and never pass up a mess of grits.
Rest in peace, Andy Griffith. And thank you for teaching so many of us what "decency" meant... including one of the finest directors and most decent people in Hollywood, Ron Howard. Where other child actors crashed, he shone... and I've always thought it was because YOU were his role model.
Andy Griffith played 2 very important characters: Sheriff Andy Taylor and Attorney
Ben Matlock. Both characters stood for Truth - Justice - and Common Sense. He was not
only Ron Howard's role model - he was everyone's role model - He brought out the father
in all of us. His ways will live on in my heart. Rest in peace our dear friend.
Interesting reading all the posts from the Left. I am surprised you all enjoyed a TV Show that didn't have any Guys, Cross Dressers, Transsexuals, Blacks, or Hispanics in it. A TV Show where men had specific life roles and women had theirs. A TV Show where religious values were taught, children knew their place, and respected their elders. A TV Show that presented a community that was absent of Government Controls and infringment on the lives of the citizens, where people took care of each other, and looked to their neighbors and God for help, when they needed it. Why did you like the TV Show so much, when you don't believe in anything it had to say?