Biography for
Ted Knight (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

7 December 1923, Terryville, Connecticut, USA

Date of Death

26 August 1986, Los Angeles, California, USA (cancer)

Birth Name

Tadeus Wladyslaw Konopka

Height

5' 9" (1.75 m)

Spouse

Dorothy Smith

(23 September 1948 - 26 August 1986) (his death) 3 children

Trivia

Was a minor villain on TV and film drama for the longest time before the role of Ted Baxter on "Mary Tyler Moore" (1970) aggressively tapped into his comedy talents.

His well-modulated voice, ideal for radio broadcasting and announcing, helped keep him afloat during the dismal 60s providing narration and voices for a number of cartoon series -- including "The Batman/Superman Hour" (1968) and "Star Trek" (1973).

Three children: Ted Knight Jr., Elyse Knight and Eric Knight.

Bore an uncanny resemblence to Barry Goldwater. In an episode of "Too Close for Comfort" (1980) when someone paints a portrait of Knight's character, the running gag becomes "Wow, look at that great picture of Barry Goldwater".

Has a bit role at the very end of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) as a cell guard who opens the cell door for another officer who gives Norman Bates a blanket.

A hero in WWII, he was decorated five times for bravery.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 491-493. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.

In the 1970s he was the spokesperson for Southgate USA and appeared in numerous commercials that aired on Cleveland area TV and radio stations. (Southgate USA is a Shopping Center in Maple Heights, Ohio).

The college sweatshirts he wore in the television series, "Too Close For Comfort" were sometimes sent to him by students from real colleges.

Ted Knight was also a prominent voice over actor for 1960/'70s Superhero cartoons, like The Flash, The Atom, Superman, and other hero cartoons, and Super Friends, and the Justice League. He was most known as the the omnipotent narrator, but he also voice over many of the second string character voices. He was never, or very rarely, the protagonist.

Was of Polish descent.

Salary

Psycho (1960)

$150