We Bet You Didn’t Know Some of These Things about the Life and Career of Don Knotts

The Andy Griffith Show

Don Knotts actually left “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1965, as he was already signed to a multi-picture deal with Universal Studios, and he had thought that the show would be over by then. In fact, Andy Griffith kept the show on the air for quite a few years more as he received quite a lot of pressure to do so from the network. Don Knotts later said that he really regretted that he had to leave the show, but his previous commitments to the film weren’t going to allow him to continue as a cast regular. However, if it weren’t for this mix-up, we would have never gotten the chance to see Knotts in so many great films.

The Reluctant Astronaut

In the 1967 film The Reluctant Astronaut, Knotts portrays Roy Fleming, whose father is played by Arthur O’Connell. Arbuckle (the father) wants better things for his son, and secretly sends off an application for Roy to NASA. Roy then learns from his mother, who is played by Jeanette Nolan, that NASA has accepted his application as a “WB-1074”. The movie was considered good, on par with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (maybe with a slightly better title, if you ask us!), by critics and viewers alike. Arbuckle’s friend, Rush, is played by Paul Hartman, who would later also star in the “The Andy Griffith Show.