Dixie Nann Griffith
Dixie, also adopted, was the only daughter of Andy Griffith. Growing up, the family would spend a lot of time up in North Carolina, where the actor was free to live as far from the Hollywood lifestyle as possible. She never grew up thinking of Griffith as an actor. Though she’s incredibly proud of all of his accomplishments, he was just her dad and always made time to spend time with her regardless of how much time he spent working on his TV show.
“For the millions of his fans and people who loved him, he represented something else. But he was my dad,” Dixie explained to the Denver Post.
“So many people wanted to be a part of him. It goes back to the time when his show was on. It was such a sweet show, representing Americana at its best,” she said. “We long for that in a way — the easier times, the gentler times.”
Dixie definitely grew up out of the limelight and doesn’t even remember visiting her father’s sets as a child. Her father was incredibly protective of his family’s private life which is very refreshing to hear. But despite her father’s success, Dixie never had any desire to work in show business and currently enjoys her low-key life in Denver, Colorado.
“I could have been on the producers roster. I chose not to. Same goes for growing up. I didn’t grow up in the spotlight. Of course,” she said, “this was before people hid in the bushes outside your door and there were cameras everywhere. My dad was fiercely protective of us. I respected his privacy all my life. I have kept a pretty low profile, which I still plan on doing.”