I saw him step complete out of type to do a credible villain at least once in a TV movie. Just one single time, on Matlock, he made me cringe. The episode had a subplot with Matlock taking a role in a community theater production. His acting proved so bad that the rest of the cast and crew knew he would ruin the production. Unfortunately for the viewer of the TV episode, The "bad acting" was so exaggerated that it was impossible to even suspend disbelief to go along with the gag.

Sheriff Andy was so naturally likable that it's hard to keep in mind that he was fictional. We've lost one more of the good ones.