Don Knotts(1924-2006)

Don ceased to be a regular on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) after 1965 because originally, the show's producers had intended to end the series after that year, still at a creative and popular peak. Knotts had already signed a multi-picture deal with Universal Studios when Griffith relented to network pressure and kept his show on the air for several more years. Don said later that he deeply regretted having to leave the show, but his film commitments prevented him from continuing as a cast regular.

Mainly, I thought of Barney as a kid. You can always look into the faces of kids and see what they're thinking, if they're happy or sad. That's what I tried to do with Barney.