Don Knotts' Daughter Reveals the Awful Truth, Don Knotts' Terrible Upbringing
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
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.