Who played Deputy Barney Fife?

Who played Deputy Barney Fife? Don Knotts played Deputy Barney Fife.

Barney Fife is the overly enthusiastic, nervous, and often comically inept deputy on The Andy Griffith Show. Don Knotts originated the role and became one of the series’ defining performers, winning five Emmy Awards for his portrayal.

Knotts joined the regular cast when the series premiered in 1960 and remained through the end of its fifth season. His character then supposedly left Mayberry for a job with the Raleigh Police Department, although Knotts returned for several guest appearances in later seasons.

A common mix-up is confusing the actor with Howard McNear, who played Floyd Lawson, Mayberry’s barber, or Hal Smith, who played the town drunk Otis Campbell. Barney’s famous claim that he was a “criminal psychologist” was part of the character’s comic self-importance.