Ron Howard reveals the very famous ’70s actor he is related to (hint: he was on Three’s Company)
Ron Howard revealed that he was related to his Andy Griffith Show co-star Don Knotts as he shared a throwback photo on Instagram over the past weekend.
The Oscar winner, 70 – who is the father of actress Bryce Dallas Howard – notably starred as Odie in the beloved sitcom which aired on CBS from 1960 through 1968.
He played the son of the Griffith’s character Andy Taylor – the sheriff of a fictional town named Mayberry. Knotts portrayed deputy sheriff Barney Fife which garnered him five Emmy wins.
In the image, Howard could be seen posing with Andy and Don (who is known for starring on Three’s Company) as they paid him a visit on set of his 1996 film Ransom starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo.
The trio flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera as they posed for the ‘fun’ snap together.
In the caption, the filmmaker explained that his former castmates ‘surprised me with a visit to the set of #Ransom in #Queens. It was recently confirmed that Don and I were actually distant cousins!’
Ron Howard, 70, revealed that he was related to his Andy Griffith Show co-star Don Knotts as he shared a throwback photo on Instagram over the past weekend; seen in 2022
Ron Howard, 70, revealed that he was related to his Andy Griffith Show co-star Don Knotts as he shared a throwback photo on Instagram over the past weekend; seen in 2022
In the image, Howard could be seen posing with Andy and Don as they paid him a visit on set of his 1996 film Ransom starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo
In the image, Howard could be seen posing with Andy and Don as they paid him a visit on set of his 1996 film Ransom starring Mel Gibson and Rene Russo
At the age of give, Howard was cast as Odie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show – and joined other co-stars such as Frances Bavier, Howard McNear, Jim Nabors and Hal Smith.
The premise of the show followed, ‘Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor, and his son Opie, who live with Andy’s Aunt Bee in Mayberry, North Carolina.’
‘With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy’s time is spent philosophizing and calming down his cousin Deputy Barney Fife,’ per an IMDB synopsis.
During the show’s run on the CBS network, it raked in a total of nine Emmy nods – with five going to Knotts for his performance as Fife.
When Andy Griffith exited the series, a spin-off was created and called Mayberry R.F.D. with some of the original cast returning.
A reunion television movie aired in 1986 on NBC titled Return To Mayberry, with Howard joining Griffith and Knotts once again.
During a past interview on Larry King Live back in 2006, Ron reflected on working alongside Don on the 60s sitcom.
‘Don was, you know, an amazing guy in that – and I’ve worked with a lot of very, very funny people over the years,’ he said at the time.
He played the son of the Griffith’s character Andy Taylor – the sheriff of a fictional town named Mayberry. Knotts portrayed deputy sheriff Barney Fife which garnered him five Emmy wins; seen in 1962
He played the son of the Griffith’s character Andy Taylor – the sheriff of a fictional town named Mayberry. Knotts portrayed deputy sheriff Barney Fife which garnered him five Emmy wins; seen in 1962
During a past interview on Larry King Live back in 2006, Ron reflected on working alongside Don on the 60s sitcom; Griffith and Knotts seen in 1962
During a past interview on Larry King Live back in 2006, Ron reflected on working alongside Don on the 60s sitcom; Griffith and Knotts seen in 1962
Ron Howard and Henry Winkler reunite at the Emmys to celebrate Happy Days’ 50th Anniversary
article image
‘And they all have different styles but one remarkable thing about Don is that I wasn’t aware of any neurosis or anything, you know,’ the star added.
‘He wasn’t like his character at all. Even as a kid, you know, I could see that he was a really great comic actor who knew how to create this character and knew how to be very funny but, you know, he wasn’t Barney Fife.’
Howard also further expressed, ‘He was a very calm, very kind, very relaxed, very creative guy.’
Knotts was also known for his roles in projects such as The Ghost And Mr. Chicken (1966) and the series Three’s Company.
Last year during an interview on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, Ron further remembered his time on The Andy Griffith Show as a child actor.
