Who is Cindi Knight?
Cindi Knight is well-known for being the third wife of the famed American actor Andy Griffith, with whom she remained until he died in 2012.
Cindi Knight: Childhood and family
Cindi Knight was born in North Carolina, United States, on May 2, 1953, and her astrological sign is Taurus. Cindi spent her childhood and adolescence in her hometown, where her family encouraged her ambition to become an actress. She graduated from the local theatre school and began her career as an actress.
Quick Facts about Cindi Knight
| Age: | 69 years 6 months |
|---|---|
| Birth Date: | May 02, 1953 |
| Full Name: | Cindi Knight |
| Net Worth: | $850,000 |
Cindi Knight: Career
Since 1982, Cindi has portrayed the secretary in the episodes “Who Would Kill Ramona?” (1982) and “Fear of Tomorrow” of the television series “Matt Houston” (1983). Lee Horsley and Pamela Hensley portrayed Matt Houston and C.J. Parsons, respectively, during three successful seasons of the show.
The plot centers on the private investigator and his mostly murder-related cases. After leaving the series, Cindi was cast as Julia Turner in “Murder in Coweta County” (1983), starring alongside the renowned Johnny Cash as Lamar Potts and Cindi’s future husband Andy Griffith as John Wallace.
Late Andy Griffith: Bio
Cindi and Andy began dating after meeting on the set of “Murder in Coweta County” and developing a mutual interest in one another. Andy had recovered from his 1973 divorce from the Greek actress Solica Cassuto, his second wife, and was prepared for a new relationship. On 12 April 1983, one year after they met, Cindi and Andy wed. Only immediate family members and close friends were invited to the intimate wedding. Andy’s children from his first marriage to Barbara Bray Edwards were adopted by Cindi.
Andy married Barbara in 1949, and they adopted two children: Andy Samuel “Sam” Griffith Jr. and Dixie Nann Griffith. Cindi consoled Andy when Sam passed away in 1996 following a lengthy struggle with alcoholism — Sam was a real estate developer, but his great job did not make him happy, so he drank heavily and eventually died as a result of his addiction.
Andy Griffith
Initial years
Andy Samuel Griffith was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, on June 1st, 1926. Carl Lee Griffith, his father, was a carpenter, and Geneva Nunn Griffith, his mother, was a homemaker. Andy’s youth was fairly challenging, as his parents tried to obtain a home and he lived with relatives in the interim. Andy slept in dresser drawers when his parents initially moved into their own home since they were unable to obtain a cot or little bed for him.
Andy discovered that music helped him escape harsh reality, so he listened to music whenever he could, especially in the church, which he and his parents frequently attended (Andy was raised Baptist). When he entered Mount Airy High School, he was already interested in the arts and participated in the drama club. In 1949, Andy earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of North Carolina, despite having first enrolled there to become a Moravian minister.
Andy Griffith: Career
Andy Griffith began his acting career in 1957 with his performance as Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes in the drama film “A Face in the Crowd.” Afterward, he starred in “No Time for Sergeants” (1957), “Onionhead” (1958), and “The Second Time Around” (1961). Then, he ceased appearing in films because he was busy starring in different TV shows for about a decade, including “Make Room for Daddy” and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.C.”, but his greatest deal was “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960–1968), in which he portrayed the widowed sheriff, Andy Taylor.
Arthur Stander, a veteran writer well-known for his work on “The Danny Thomas Show,” penned the show’s 249 episodes. Andy returned to cinema in 1969, starring in “Angel in My Pocket,” “Hearts of the West,” and “Rustlers’ Rhapsody” (1985). However, he continued to work in television comedies, where he was always well-received by both directors and viewers.
Further acting career and initial severe health issues
Andy’s fame has risen so much since 1970 that he has appeared in up to three films every year: “The Mod Squad,” “The Strangers in 7A,” and “Hawaii Five-O” in 1972, and “Pray for the Wildcats,” “Winter Kill,” and “Savages” in 1974. Andy worked diligently in 1976, accepting all invites from directors and landing roles in “Street Killing,”
“Six Characters in Search of an Author,” and “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” as well as the episode “Angel of Mercy” of the popular television series “The Bionic Woman.”
He continued to win roles in movies and television series until he discovered he had major health issues. In 1983, Andy was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, which rendered him bedridden for seven months due to paralysis below the knees.
Cindi tended to her ailing spouse
Even though they had recently gotten married, Cindi was unconcerned about her husband’s health difficulties. She offered him encouragement and reassurance that he would soon recover and return to work. She spent much time by his side, frequently bringing his children to him to encourage him to persevere and trust in his recovery. Andy could walk again at the beginning of 1984, and he was eager to return to work.
He accepted a modest role in two episodes of the television series “Fatal Vision” – everyone understood that it would support Andy, but at the same time wouldn’t make him weak again.
Last works
After acting in many TV movies, including “Crime of Innocence” (1985), “Diary of a Perfect Murder” (1986), and “Return to Mayberry” (1986), Andy portrayed criminal-defense attorney Ben Matlock in Dean Hargrove’s legal drama series “Matlock” (1986–1995). After numerous more performances in television and film, Andy experienced new health issues and retired from performing in 2003.
His last television appearance was in the episode of The Andy Griffith Show entitled “The Andy Griffith Show Reunion: Back To Mayberry.” In May of 2000, Andy underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and had to monitor his health even more closely than previously.
Andy Griffith’s musical profession
Andy was an accomplished musician who released twenty studio albums between 1953 and 2005.
When he gave up acting, music became his primary source of happiness, but it also held a unique significance for him, as he recorded numerous Christian songs, including “Take My Hand Precious Lord,” “Someone Bigger Than You and I,” and “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.”
Additional health issues and deaths
Andy required hip surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he suffered a fall in September 2007. Cindi later revealed that having a history of paralysis made walking even more difficult. Andy Griffith had a heart attack and died on 3 July 2012; his body was buried less than five hours after his death, which prompted many people to ask questions.
As is customary, the family’s closest relatives did not get the opportunity to pay their respects to Andy. Andy was a person of tremendously strong Christian faith, and he was prepared for the day he would be called Home to the Lord, was the response Cindi gave to all the queries.
Andy died at 7 a.m., and his corpse was interred by 11:30 a.m. “It’s not that frequent. The executive director of the state’s Funeral Directors Association, Larry F. Stegall, provides his thoughts on the matter, stating, “I don’t recall ever hearing of it in my 32 years here.” However, the funeral spokeswoman, who declined to be named, acknowledged, ‘It had been planned for some time.’ This was his family’s desire.
Cindi Knight: Appearance
Cindi has dark brown hair of medium length and wears bangs. Her eyes are green. Her height, weight, and other vital information are unknown.
What is Cindi Knight’s net worth?
Andy Griffith, the late husband of Cindi, had a net worth of $60 million at the time of his death. She inherited a portion of his wealth alongside Dixie Nann Griffith, Andy’s adopted daughter. Cindi’s estimated net worth in 2019 is approximately $16 million.
