Andy Griffith dead at 86

Actor Andy Griffith was found dead early this morning when an ambulance arrived at his home in North Carolina. He was 86 years old. Best known for his starring role in the The Andy Griffith Show as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Griffith’s long and impressive career lasted over 50 years. From his beginnings on Broadway in the late 1950s to his final appearance as “Grandpa Joe” in the 2009 film Play the Game, the comedian spent decade after decade appearing in movies, series, shorts and mini-series. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work in the NBC-TV movie Murder in Texas in 1981 and honored with the Legend Award for his titular show in 2004 by the TV Land Awards. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005. Griffith was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome in 1983, leaving him paralyzed from the knees down for seven months. The syndrome would mark the beginning of a long period of health issues for the actor, including a quadruple bypass surgery following a heart attack in May of 2000 and hip surgery in 2007 – the result of a fall. Specific details surrounding his death are unavailable at this time.~Devin Garabedian