Why Peanut Butter Was A Major Source Of Distress On Matlock

Andy Griffith's legendary defense attorney Ben Matlock might enjoy a nice hot dog, but Griffith himself had somewhat different dietary preferences while filming "Matlock." On occasion, the actor was even known to tap into his character's more curmudgeonly tendencies because of his favorite treat — or rather, a sudden lack thereof.

According to Daniel de Visé's biography of Griffith and his "The Andy Griffith Show" co-star Don Knotts, "Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show," the "Matlock" actor was rather fond of peanut butter. Unfortunately, the book also revealed that the tasty paste could also be a major source of stress. Griffith liked to snack on peanut butter and apples on the set, and the show's crew made sure he had some available. However, "Matlock" producer Dean Hargrove told the author that the star was sometimes extremely frustrated when people who had no business setting their hands on his precious treat ate it in his stead:

"Andy would get distressed sometimes because people who were not part of the crew would come on and eat the peanut butter and the apples. Andy was a hawk-eye on it, too."

It's not hard to understand why Griffith might become annoyed by people who helped themselves to his preferred snacks. After all, office lunch theft is distressing at the best of times, and it doesn't really seem like the kind of thing you'd expect to deal with when you're starring in a famous TV show. 

"Matlock" is nothing short of an iconic show. Andy Griffith's eccentric defense attorney is a pop culture staple who has served as an inspiration for figures both serious and less-so, including the alien chicken lawyer Matcluck from "Futurama" (voiced by Maurice LaMarche). Throughout the years, the character has also remained relevant enough that "Matlock" even got a reboot on CBS in 2024, with Kathy Bates starring in the titular role.

A lot of this has to do with Ben Matlock's unique folksy charm and a lengthy list of character quirks, which combine to give him a distinctly different persona from the far more common slick lawyer archetypes. However, the show's star did more behind the scenes than just pine for lost snacks. In fact, some of his ideas for "Matlock" conveyed an edge that falls right in with his reported peanut butter grievances, and they could have potentially transformed the entire show.

Griffith had plenty of dark ideas for "Matlock" that led to arguments behind the scenes, often telling series creator Dean Hargrove that his largely affable character should be considerably more troubled. The actor's suggestions ranged from storylines that gave Matlock a violent streak to the show highlighting the lawyer's alcohol use. Alas, Hargrove was quick to shoot such possibilities down, so Griffith had to both deal with blatant on-set peanut butter theft and leave Matlock's dark side unexplored. Who said that carrying a popular show on your shoulders was easy?