Wayne Knight Biography
Wayne Elliot is an American actor, comedian and former private investigator. In television, he is known for playing Newman in Seinfeld (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville in 3rd Rock from the sun (1996–2001). Other roles include Mr. Blik in Catscratch (2005–2007) and Haskell Lutz in The Exes (2011–2015). He voiced the Jack O’Lantern in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2000–2008), Evil Emperor Zurg in Buzz Lightyear of star command (2000–2001) and Dojo in Xiaolin Showdown (2003–2006).
In film, he played Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park (1993), which earned him a Saturn Award for the Best Supporting Actor nomination. Knight also portrayed Stan Podolak in Space Jam (1996), Zack Mallozzi in Rat Race (2001) and Microchip in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and provided voiceover work for Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2 and Tantor in Tarzan (both 1999).
How old is Wayne Knight? – Age
The American actor is 65 years old as of 7th August 2020. He was born in 1955 in New York, New York, United States.
Who are Wayne Knight Parents? – Father and Mother
The actor was born to a Catholic family. His parents are textile factory supervisor William Edward Knight and Grace Knight. His father moved the family to Cartersville, Georgia, where he worked in the textile industry.
Wayne Knight Education
The actor went to local schools and was a lineman on his high school’s football team. He attended the University of Georgia, but did not complete his degree until 2008.
Who is Wayne Knight Married to? – Spouse
The actor is a married man. He married his second wife Clare de Chenu on October 15, 2006; together they have a son named Liam Knight. He was once married to his first wife, Paula Sutor a makeup artist on May 26, 1996, in a ceremony held in fellow Seinfeld cast member Michael Richards’ home. The couple then divorced by December 2003.
Wayne Knight Career
The American actor appeared in various films produced in the end of the 1980s, and beginning of the 1990s, including Dirty Dancing (1987), Born on the Forth of July (1989), JFK (1991) and Basic Instinct (1992). He was the first actor cast in Jurassic Park after director Steven Spielberg saw his performance in Basic Instinct. Knight was cast as InGen Corporation’s chief programmer for the park and secret spy for Biosyn, Dennis Nedry.
He also appeared in Dead Again, To Die For, and Space Jam. In the 1990s, the actor played supporting roles on two television series on NBC. He played the mailman Newman, Jerry’s neighbour and nemesis in Seinfeld, and Officer Don Orville, Sally’s love interest, in 3rd Rock from the sun. He had earlier appeared in Against the Grain. He also appeared as a regular on two sketch comedy series, The Edge for Fox and Assaulted Nuts for Cinemax and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.
Knight also appeared on Broadway in the plays Gemini, Mastergate, ‘Art’ and Sweet Charity with Christina Applegate. He has done voice work for numerous animations, including the black cat Mr. Blik on the Nickelodeon cartoon Catscratch, Igor on the Fox Kids Cartoon Toonsylvania, the dragon Dojo Kanojo Cho in the Kids’ WB! animated series Xiaolin Showdown, Evil Emperor Zurg on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command on Toon Disney and Disney Channel; Al McWhiggin, the toy store manager of Al’s Toy Barn, in Toy Story 2; Tantor the elephant in Tarzan, Demetrius the shopkeeper in Hercules, and the bug Juju on Tak and the Power of Juju. He made guest appearances on Billy & Mandy’s Jacked-Up Halloween as Jack O’Lantern, Dilbert as the Security Guard, and Brandy and Mr. Whiskers as Mr. Cantarious the snail.
The actor appeared on the Pilot episode of the American version of Thank God You’re Here. He made a second appearance, on the last episode of the first season of the television series. He won the Thank God You’re Here blue door award. He played the Punisher’s techno sidekick Microchip in Punisher: War Zone. Knight guest starred in The Penguins of Madagascar as Max the Cat, in the episodes “Launchtime” and “Cat’s Cradle”.
In November 2009, Knight reprised his role as the Seinfeld character Newman, for the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also guest starred on CSI: Crime scene Investigation Season 10, Episode “Working Stiffs”.
The actor guest starred on an episode of 2010, of Fox’s drama series Bones, in the first season of the TV Land comedy series Hot in Cleveland (2010), where he became a recurring character for season two, and on an episode of The Whole Truth in the fall of 2010. He played an Internet fixated couch potato in the TV Land sitcom, The Exes. In the summer of 2011, he appeared in the BBC/Starz series Torchwood: Miracle Day as Brian Friedkin.
Knight appeared as Santa in Elf: The Musical in November 2012. He previously appeared on Broadway in Art in 1999. In April 2012, he was featured in the romantic comedy, She Wants Me.
In February 2014, the actor reprised the character Newman, during one commercial during the Super Bowl, alongside Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander. In December 2017, he was featured in an advertisement for KFC depicting Colonel Sanders.
Wayne Knight Net worth
The American actor as an estimated net worth of $8 million dollars as of 2021.