The Andy Griffith Show

After he made his appearance on The Steve Allen Show from 1957 to 1960, he slowly garnered public attention due to his unique and show-stopping sense of humor. After his appearance on that show, he got the Barney Fife role.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

However, after the first episode aired, he was almost kicked off the show because he began shooting the show without having signed any contract whatsoever. Thankfully, executive producer Sheldon Leonard opted to let him stick around when he saw Knotts’ talent.