Actor Andy Griffith dies at 86

Actor Andy Griffith passed away this morning at his home in North Carolina, according to Dare County sheriff. The family will release more information about the cause of death at a later time. Griffith had suffered a heart attack in 2000 and had quadruple bypass surgery.

He was best known for his portrayal of a small-town sheriff on The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960-1968 and remains one of America’s most enduring sitcoms.  Griffith went on to play a curmudgeonly southern lawyer on Matlock, a show he also produced, from 1986-1995. He was 86.