To America he was known as a lovable deputy sheriff, or the ladies man turned landlord. But to Karen Knotts, he was simply dad.

Don Knotts may have died a decade ago but his talent, stories and memories have lived on through not only his movies and television shows but thanks to his daughter, Karen, and her one-woman show appropriately titled, “Tied Up in Knotts.” Her live show can be seen on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center as part of the 22nd annual Sedona International Film Festival.

“I’m so excited, I can hardly wait,” Knotts said in a phone interview this week. “I’ve always wanted to come to Sedona and I have heard such great things about the film festival.”

The tribute — which she started in 2007 — combines stories, television and movie clips and never-before-seen photos during the comedian’s career and life away from the camera.

“The first time I did the show I got this amazing reaction,” Knotts said. “I didn’t know what to expect but I quickly realized how many people loved Don Knotts and wanted to learn more about him. I was always telling stories about my dad, which is why I decided to put them all together in a show.

“After seeing the show people always tell me that they feel like they now know the real Don Knotts. That’s why I portray him as a real human being and not just a character.”

Knotts started his career in the early 1950s on of all things, a soap opera. But his comedic talent could be seen later in the decade as the reoccurring nervous man character on the “Steve Allen Show.” Then, in 1960, he got the role of deputy Barney Fife on the “Andy Griffith Show,” which would change his life forever.

“When he did Steve Allen’s show people began to recognize him but it was still the early days of television. But after Andy’s show began, it became this phenomenon. It was a little disconcerting to him at first because he wasn’t used to that type of fame. It was something he had to adjust to but after that he enjoyed it because he loved people and enjoyed meeting the fans.”

Away from the set, Knotts said that people always expected Barney Fife when they met her dad. But she said in real life he was almost nothing like his character. She said he was low-keyed and relaxed and was worldly, watching a lot of news and reading several newspapers and magazines in his free time.

Knotts was just a youngster when her dad accepted the role as Deputy Fife. Unlike the “Steve Allen Show,” the “Andy Griffith Show” was not live but rather taped — something that came as a bit of a shock to the youngster.

“I still remember the first time watching the show on television and dad walked into our living room,” she said. “I was stunned. I wasn’t sure which was the real one.”

Once the show came to an end in 1968, Knotts found himself doing a lot of guest spots over the next decade on television shows like “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.” He also made several movies such as “The Shakiest Gun in the West,” “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and “Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.” Many of those roles were similar to that of Barney Fife but being typecast as the lovable sidekick was never a concern of her father’s, Knotts said.

“That was his meal ticket,” she said. “He did have his concerns after the ‘Andy Griffith Show’ went off the air. On the show, Andy was the star and he was the second banana but now he had to stand on his own. He wondered if he could pull it off or not.”

In 1979, Knotts was cast as landlord Ralph Furley on the popular television show “Three’s Company.” The lady-loving, flashy-dressing Furley was a big departure from his role a decade earlier. But it also allowed him to step out of Barney Fife’s large shadow.

“He loved playing Ralph Furley,” she said. “He really enjoyed working with that cast, especially John Ritter, who he became very close to. My dad was so excited to be on television again and earned a whole new fan base. But there were those big fans of Barney Fife who didn’t like the Ralph Furley character. I never understood why.”

Two years after “Three’s Company” went off the air, Knotts, Griffith and Howard reunited for the 1986 television movie, “Return to Mayberry.” But this time, Don was not the only Knotts in the closing credits. Karen, who has done some acting herself, played the part of Opie’s receptionist. It was the only time the two appeared in the same project.

“It was amazing — I loved it,” she said. “They put me up in my own hotel room. I felt like part of the old gang.”

As the 1980s were coming to a close, Knotts found himself reunited with Griffith once again, this time on the show “Matlock.” Knotts said Griffith was still playing the role of mentor for her father. She said the show’s producers didn’t feel Knotts was right for the show but Griffith insisted he was. And when the network wanted to pay Knotts the minimum for his role, one call from Griffith changed that.

“Andy loved my dad and always looked out for him,” she said. “They were close friends until the end.”