This is a statement from my character on the recent death of television star Andy Griffith.
Andy Griffith was Sheriff Andy Taylor. He was Benjamin Matlock, champion lawyer of the little guy. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and friend.
Best of all, he was "Sheriff Matlock," the best good ol' Southern boy in the world.
When I wanted to know what the right thing was, I turned to Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, Aunt Bee, Ernest T. Bass, and the rest of the good citizens of Mayberry. Those of us who live in North Carolina considered them to be just like our families, and for good reason.
And like me, Andy made sure to call the Tar Heel State home, even in the midst of his fame. When he retired to Dare County, near the Outer Banks, he blended into the community as if he never starred in two of the most popular TV shows of his time - and still two of the best examples of family entertainment ever created.
Goodbye and God bless, "Sheriff Matlock." The world will remember you and the examples you set as long as your shows are on TV.
