For five influential years, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts partnered on The Andy Griffith Show, creating one of television’s most beloved comedy duos. Their on-screen chemistry was a reflection of their deep friendship off-screen.
However, while the two men shared a strong bond, their wives did not see eye to eye. Though the couples socialized together, there were significant differences between the two women.
Knotts Married His First Wife, Kay, in 1947
When Don Knotts met his first wife, Kay, he felt an immediate connection. As Daniel de Visé notes in his biography Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, “Kathryn Metz was a woman of substance, the daughter of a Northern Baptist minister from Wheeling, a West Virginia city so far north it was almost Ohio.” After dating for two years, they married in 1947 at her father’s church.
Griffith Proposed to Barbara Just Three Days After Meeting
Andy Griffith’s wife, Barbara, was an aspiring entertainer. They had an understanding that whichever of them achieved success in show business first would receive the other’s full support. Barbara came from a prominent Southern family, and her artistic talent shone through; she brought her beautiful soprano voice to Chapel Hill after graduating from Converse College in South Carolina. After just three days of getting to know each other over coffee, Griffith proposed, and Barbara accepted.
Kay and Barbara’s Lack of Connection
Despite the close friendship between Griffith and Knotts, their wives struggled to connect. Coming from different backgrounds, Kay and Barbara had little in common. As de Visé explains, “Andy and Don came to trust each other for counsel, perhaps even above their wives, and certainly above their managers.”
Unfortunately, their spouses didn’t hit it off as well. Kay, a minister’s daughter, was well-equipped to be a supportive wife and mother, while Barbara, raised in a more affluent environment, had a different perspective. “Whereas Kay was first and foremost Don’s wife, Barbara saw herself as a fellow entertainer; on the North Carolina stage where she and Andy had met, Barbara was the star,” de Visé notes.
As Andy’s career flourished, it created tension in his marriage. Barbara’s ambitions began to wane, culminating in a turning point when a television producer offered her a small role on a show, contingent on her persuading Andy to take the lead. That day marked her decision to step away from show business entirely.