How Tall Was Don Knotts?—His Build Was Perfect for Comedic Acting

Don Knotts was a famous comedic actor, best known for his role in The Andy Griffith Show as Barney Fife. He went on to have a long, successful career following the show, but fans of the actor continue to hold Barney in a special place in their hearts. Watching the actor on-screen, it was difficult to get a read on how tall he really was. But one thing is for certain: his height and build only added to the professional’s comedic acting. 

Don Knotts’ comedic physicality in ‘The Andy Griffith Show’

The Andy Griffith Show wasn’t Knotts’ first foray into acting, but it was the role that catapulted his career and put him on the map. Knotts became a household name thanks to his portrayal of deputy sheriff Barney Fife. Knotts’ physicality of Barney is what really sold the character. He had a slight hunch to his back, a slim build that sported a bit-too-loose uniform, and a face seemingly made of rubber. He used his body like a tool made for procuring laughs. He had the perfect build for Barney Fife, but Knotts also knew how to use what he was given to make the most out of each scene.

But it wasn’t just Barney that Knotts mastered. He went on to use his physicality in such projects as The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Three’s Company, and Pleasantville. 

Don Knotts’ height and weight   

You can never really get a good read on how tall actors are by watching them on-screen. With devices like creative camera angles and apple boxes for shorter actors to stand on so they can appear taller, it’s difficult to judge. 

Knotts fell below the national average male height, which is 5 feet 9 inches according to World Population Review.   

IMDb lists Knotts’ height as 5 feet 7 ½ inches. Of his height and weight, the LA Times puts Knotts at “5 feet 6 ½ inches and maybe 140 pounds after a big meal.”

Andy Griffith was taller than Knotts, though it’s unclear by exactly how much. Sources list Griffith’s height anywhere from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet. 

What condition did Don Knotts have?

Of course, Knotts’ stature changed in the later years of his life. Especially after he fell sick. 

When Knotts was 80, he developed pulmonary fibrosis. Soon after, he learned he had lung cancer. At the time, he was still working. He was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in Disney’s 2005 animated feature Chicken Little and he reprised his Three’s Company role of Ralph Furley for an episode of That ‘70s Show. And he wanted to continue working. So he kept his diagnosis quiet. 

“Don told almost no one of his illness, lest news should leak to the tabloids,” Daniel de Visé wrote in his 2015 biography titled Andy and Don. “Don still wanted to work, and a sick actor could not get work. He didn’t tell his children he was dying. He didn’t tell Andy.”

Eventually, though, Knotts’ condition took a turn for the worse. He died on Feb. 24, 2006.