Don Knotts&apos; Daughter Reveals the Awful Truth, Don Knotts&apos; Terrible Upbringing

FactsVerse

Transcript

00:00I saw a guy at a luncheon giving a speech and he was that nervous, I mean he was spilling

00:07water all over himself.

00:09Most of us are unaware that even celebrities sometimes have a terrifying childhood and

00:14struggles growing up.

00:16And the same happened with Don Knotts, who had an awful upbringing that's rarely talked

00:21about.

00:22So, in this video, let's delve deep into the life of this beloved comedian and discover

00:27the harsh reality he endured as a child.

00:30Here we begin.

00:31Don Knotts, best known as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show, was a true

00:36national treasure.

00:38The show was a glimpse into times when neighbors helped each other, and a one-bullet policeman

00:42was enough.

00:44While Barney Fife is his most famous role, his career included Three's Company and movies

00:49like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

00:51Despite his comedy, Knotts' life held deep sadness and tragedy.

00:55Born in 1924 in West Virginia, Knotts had a difficult childhood.

01:00He was born late into his family and slept in the kitchen, unlike his brothers, who shared

01:05a room with a boarder.

01:06His father, Jesse Sr., was bedridden and struggled with schizophrenia, alcoholism, and hysterical

01:13blindness.

01:14Knotts faced abuse during childhood, and he recalled his father threatening him with a

01:19knife.

01:21He had to walk past his father, who spent most of his time on the living room sofa.

01:26Young Don often got sick, and his difficult upbringing left him pale and thin.

01:30He once said,

01:34Not only that, he even had a tough relationship with his brothers.

01:38Author Daniel DeVise, Knotts' brother-in-law, described their complicated relationship,

01:43saying that his brothers, William Earle, known as Shadow, and Sid, had a difficult life and

01:49often fought.

01:50Tragically, Shadow passed away from an asthma attack, when Knotts was just a teenager.

01:56Growing up in such an environment was hard.

01:58Even his brothers mistreated him.

02:00They often fought and had their struggles.

02:03With fear at home, Knotts sought happiness through imaginary characters.

02:07He created these characters and acted out in happy stories to cope with his difficult

02:12life.

02:13However, his life started to improve in his teenage years.

02:16When his father passed away when he was 13, the burden lifted.

02:20He became old enough to control the other brother and was no longer terrorized at home.

02:25In high school, he blossomed as a class president, wrote a yearbook column, became popular, and

02:31even had his first best friend.

02:33But he once admitted that he felt like a loser and was unhappy for most of his early life,

02:38partly due to their family's poverty and his own insecurities.

02:42During his early teens, Don Knotts found a unique friend, Danny, who was a ventriloquist's

02:46dummy.

02:47And with this dummy, Don marked the beginning of his performing career.

02:51Moreover, Don Knotts faced a cruel rumor about being a strict Marine Corps drill instructor,

02:56which was entirely false.

02:58He never served in that role, and this rumor is just one of the many about unlikely celebrities

03:03having a hidden military past.

03:05What's true is his actual military service during World War II, despite being undernourished

03:11and considered unlikely for military service, he was accepted.

03:14Entertaining the troops, he toured the Pacific front with the comedy troupe Stars and Gripes.

03:19He even worked as a nurse when needed.

03:22What's next?

03:23Well, before we continue with Don Knotts' story, if you are enjoying the video, subscribe

03:28to our channel to never miss out on more such contents.

03:31Moving on, during his time in the military, Don Knotts, who was still performing with

03:35his ventriloquist's dummy, Danny, caught the attention of another comedian, Red Ford.

03:41Ford's words stayed with him when he said,

03:43"'You know something?

03:44You're a funny little son of a b***h.'"

03:47But by the time he left the military, he had moved on from ventriloquism and even threw

03:51Danny off a ship in the South Pacific.

03:53After his military service and graduating from West Virginia University in 1948, Knotts

03:58went to New York City with only $100 in his pocket.

04:03Like many aspiring actors, he faced rejection.

04:06He was turned down for radio gigs, but eventually landed a role in a soap opera.

04:10Getting his big break on Broadway took seven years of hard work.

04:13He starred in a comedy called No Time for Sergeants alongside Andy Griffith, who would

04:18become a lifelong friend.

04:20Later, he became known for playing a particular type of character, nervous, anxious, and non-threatening.

04:26He was remarkably good at it, and the New York Times even noted that he borrowed some

04:30material for his act.

04:32Interestingly, the comedians and actors he borrowed from didn't mind.

04:36Why?

04:37Because his unique talent made everyone he worked with look more manly.

04:40Despite his small and thin stature, Knotts had a special knack for making his co-stars

04:44appear closer to leading men.

04:46Even after finding success in the world of entertainment and becoming a beloved television

04:51figure, Don Knotts struggled with deep-seated issues.

04:54He had long battled feelings of inferiority, anxiety, hypochondria, and chronic insomnia.

05:01These issues were so severe that before performances, he would spend days in bed, and he had even

05:06become addicted to anti-anxiety drugs prescribed by his doctors.

05:10A pivotal moment came when he accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills.

05:15Coupled with an ultimatum from his third wife, this overdose prompted Knotts to change his

05:19life significantly.

05:21He quit his bad habits, but these struggles continued to affect him as he tried to reconcile

05:26his on-screen persona with his real-life success.

05:30Knotts turned to therapy for help.

05:32His daughter, Karen, described him as mercurial, fighting depression, and undergoing various

05:38mood swings.

05:39However, she noted his resilience and how he ultimately overcame his challenges, becoming

05:44a genuinely happy person who loved people.

05:47Despite his remarkable talents and success on The Andy Griffith Show, Don Knotts left

05:51the series after five seasons.

05:54While some attribute his departure to the demanding nature of television work, he had

05:58always intended to do only five seasons.

06:01After leaving the show, he aimed to focus on making movies.

06:05Still, he didn't receive the critical acclaim he had expected for films like The Incredible

06:10Mr. Limpet, The Reluctant Astronaut, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

06:15Later in life, Knotts faced the devastating diagnosis of macular degeneration, which interferes

06:21with one's central vision and can lead to blindness.

06:25This diagnosis hit him hard, causing depression.

06:29Still, he maintained his resilience, continuing to work and enjoy his favorite hobby, swimming

06:34laps, until his eyesight deteriorated to the point that he could no longer drive or read.

06:40After leaving The Andy Griffith Show, Don Knotts had his own variety show, The Don Knotts

06:45Show, which premiered in 1970.

06:48On the surface, it appeared to have all the elements of a hit, but didn't live up to expectations.

06:54The show aired on NBC and faced stiff competition during a season filled with variety shows.

07:01Don Knotts explained,

07:02"...we did all kinds of things.

07:04There was a tremendous competition that season for variety because everybody and his brother

07:08had a variety show."

07:10After leaving CBS, the show's debut on NBC didn't sit well with everyone.

07:16Despite high hopes, it failed to gain traction.

07:19More efforts were made to salvage the show, with The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeney

07:24brought in to assist.

07:25Gary Berghoff was added as a recurring sketch comedy character, and they introduced acts

07:31like The Carpenters.

07:32Despite these attempts, the show was cancelled prematurely, and Don Knotts continued appearing

07:37on other variety shows.

07:39And in the early 2000s, Don Knotts was diagnosed with lung cancer.

07:44Despite growing apart, his old friend Andy Griffith rushed to support him during his

07:48battle.

07:49Catlock co-star Nancy Stafford described their rekindled friendship as filled with laughter,

07:54singing, and jokes as if they had never been apart.

07:57Sadly, Knotts lost his fight with cancer and passed away in 2006.

08:03His daughter, Karen, later shared her regret about a moment during his last days.

08:08She recalled her father's natural humor, even as he was approaching the end of his life.

08:12He made her laugh hysterically, and she left his side to share the funny story.

08:17Looking back, she wished she had stayed by his side, laughing out loud and allowing him

08:21to hear her joy.

08:23Don Knotts had quit smoking many years before his diagnosis, and he remained optimistic

08:28and positive even when he received the grim news.

08:31He didn't inform his children about his chemotherapy treatments, as he was determined to beat cancer

08:36and carry on with life, as if it were just a minor setback.

08:39Ultimately, his official cause of death was pulmonary and respiratory complications, with

08:45previous years marked by unspecified health problems that had caused him to cancel appearances.

08:51Don Knotts was remembered by his closest friends as a modest, humble, and intelligent individual,

08:57who left a lasting impact on those who knew him.

09:00Andy Griffith and Ron Howard fondly recalled his kindness and positive nature.

09:05So, even though Don Knotts' upbringing was not that great, he made a name for himself

09:10in the world.

09:11Share your views and amp, subscribe for more.

Don Knotts' Daughter Reveals the Awful Truth, Don Knotts' Terrible Upbringing

Category

Transcript

Recommended

Category

Transcript

Recommended

Don Knotts' Daughter Reveals the Awful Truth, Don Knotts' Terrible Upbringing