Statement from the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development on the death of Andy Griffith


Andy Griffith was a great North Carolinian, and he made countless contributions to tourism in our state. His hometown of Mt. Airy, the real-life Mayberry, continues to charm nostalgic visitors from all over the world. After playing the role of Sir Walter Raleigh in “The Lost Colony” in Manteo, Griffith loved the Outer Banks so much that he made his permanent home there. His hit show “Matlock,” filmed at Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington as well as many other locations along the North Carolina coast, gave an early boost to the state’s film industry. Griffith’s first public performance of “What It Was Was Football” was in a ballroom at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. Andy Griffith embodied the immense pride that so many North Carolinians feel about our home state, and we will miss him dearly.