Andy Griffith, the American actor known for the 1960s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and legal drama Matlock has died, according to a friend. Griffith was 86.

Paramedics were called to his home in Manteo, North Carolina Tuesday morning, the friend told local TV station WITN.

Griffiths was also a Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer and had an early career on stage and in films before moving into TV.

On The Andy Griffith Show he played the mild-mannered sheriff of the sleepy town of Mayberry, N.C. Don Knotts, a long-time friend of Griffith had the role of his inept deputy and a young Ron Howard played his son, Opie.

Actor Andy Griffith dies at 86, says friend - Arts & Entertainment - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2012/07/03/andy-griffith-obit.html)

How very sad. He was always a favorite of mine as a child watching the Andy Griffith Show. A very gentle and kind man. May he rest in peace.

One of my all time faves...RIP Andy.

That's too bad... but truth be told I thought he was already dead.

Griffith did some really nasty against-type acting in such TV movies as Pray for the Wildcats. I thought his Salvage series was also fun. I enjoyed his work.

That's too bad... but truth be told I thought he was already dead.

He was in a movie about five years ago.

Still, just thinking of him brings back memories of watching the AG Show with my grandmother, who loved him and Opie.

Mayberry will never be the same. Thanks for that Andy. RIP

Mayberry will never be the same. Thanks for that Andy. RIP

Sad, but all too true, mon ami. As I said, fond memories were shared in those days of black and white TV.

The Andy Griffith Show 1963 Original Opening - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhVTerMBoRA&feature=related)

Original Closing Credits The Andy Griffith Show 1961 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLSp-1lMH_c&feature=related)

The Andy Griffith Show. "One of the first and best depictions of regional Americana, from a time, at the dawn of mass-culture, when American regions were still, well, regional. This gentle small-town comedy gave us Mayberry’s quirks without ridiculing or patronizing them. And Griffith’s Sheriff Taylor, who’d rather wield a wry comment than a gun, was a weekly example of Americans talking through their problems."

Vacation Robo-Post: What TV Shows Shaped America? | Entertainment | TIME.com (http://entertainment.time.com/2012/07/03/vacation-robo-post-what-tv-shows-shaped-america/)

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2012/07/03/bts-andy-griffith-vault-love.cnn)

An interesting first-person view of the show from AG being interviewed by Larry King.

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2012/07/03/bts-andy-griffith-medal.cnn)

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2012/07/03/bts-griffith-howard-on-set.cnn)

Sad indeed. 2012 takes another.
Next grammies & academy awards will have to be 20 mins longer, just to cover all those that have past this year.

No Time For Sergeants - "Hallo?!?!" - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2fSw0ua5K0)

The "Hallo?!?!" scene from "No Time For Sergeants ". A true AG classic.

This is my favourite memory of Andy.

Andy Griffith Football Story from 1953 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxLxTZHKM8)

Man! Will miss ol' Andy, loved his show as a kid. Every now and then someone at my work breaks out whistling the opening theme tune of the Andy Griffith show. Everyone else joins in, it's just hilarious! His memory will survive alone on that tune for sure.

Man! Will miss ol' Andy, loved his show as a kid. Every now and then someone at my work breaks out whistling the opening theme tune of the Andy Griffith show. Everyone else joins in, it's just hilarious! His memory will survive alone on that tune for sure.

I learned to whistle trying to emulate that tune. Paix, mon ami.

When I was a kid, they would show Kellogg's cereal commercials featuring the cast. I always thought that was cool.

When I was a kid, they would show Kellogg's cereal commercials featuring the cast. I always thought that was cool.

I think that Post cereals was their sponsor.

The Andy Griffith Show 1963 Original Opening - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhVTerMBoRA&feature=related)

Couldn't believe when I heard it - RIP Andy Griffith!

He was buried rather quickly:

Andy Griffith buried shortly after death, source says - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/03/us/north-carolina-griffith-burial/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3 A+Top+Stories%29)

Griffith did some really nasty against-type acting in such TV movies as Pray for the Wildcats. I thought his Salvage series was also fun. I enjoyed his work.

This was probably an example of that, and a role I always appreciated him for - the distance between 'Lonesome' Rhodes and Andy Taylor being startling.

A Face in the Crowd (1957) - IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050371/)

I also remember Savages (TV 1974) - IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072116/) a TV movie to be sure, but one that sticks in memory. With Griffith playing the "bad guy" memorably.

Find Hamlet narrated by Andy. Worth your time.

Could not let this thread close without posting the shooting of this iconic scene. Now only Ron Howard can recall it . . .

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/46939750/Linked%20Photos%202/griffith.jpg

Yes, Sinc, AG is somewhere whistling up a tune right now.