Ted Knight(1923-1986)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Actor Ted Knight paid his dues with nearly two decades of relatively
obscure dramatic, often villainous television work, before finding
enduring fame in a scene-stealing supporting turn on a classic 1970s
sitcom, hilariously overplaying a silver-haired, self-important
imbecile. Although the conceited "stuffed shirt" typecast plagued him
for the rest of his career, the self-proclaimed "Polish Prince of
Comedy" continued on good-naturedly, earning lead status on his own
comedy series. The Connecticut-born actor was christened Tadeusz
(Theodore) Wladyslaw Konopka, the son of a Polish-American family in
his native town of Terryville, Connecticut. A high school dropout, he
enlisted for World War II duty and eventually became a decorated member
of the A Company, 296th Combat Engineer Battalion.
During his tour of duty, Ted developed an interest in acting, returning
home in the post-war years to study his craft in Hartford, Connecticut,
at the Randall School of Dramatic Arts. A fascination with puppetry and
ventriloquism led to his first steady paycheck, as the host of a
children's radio show (WJAR) in Providence, Rhode Island (1950-1955).
Following this, Ted found more work (WROW-TV) in Albany, New York,
hosting a children's variety show while playing radio announcer for its
sister radio station, WROW.
Heading west to Los Angeles, California in 1957, Ted spent most of his
early years providing slick commercial voiceovers and earning minor
roles on television
(Sea Hunt (1958)) and film
(Psycho (1960)). He appeared regularly on
the short-lived,
The New Loretta Young Show (1962),
and the daytime soap opera,
The Young Marrieds (1964).
Other television guest appearances sprouted including dramatic
(The Twilight Zone (1959),
The Fugitive (1963),
Gunsmoke (1955),
Highway Patrol (1955),
Bonanza (1959),
Combat! (1962)) as well as occasional
comedic parts
(McHale's Navy (1962),
Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964),
Get Smart (1965)). But nothing
monumental pushed his career forward.
Ted's well-modulated voice was his moneymaker during the lean years,
whether as an announcer/narrator or cartoon voice character. However,
this anonymity ended went he copped the role of inept, pearly-toothed
WJM anchorman "Ted Baxter" on
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970). The
arrogant but highly insecure character earned Knight two supporting
Emmy trophies (1973, 1976) but severely pigeon-holed him for the rest
of his career. However, the genial actor made the best of it and
continued on stage ("Some of My Best Friends") and in commercials and
TV spots that were similar in persona. In 1975, a musical album
entitled "Hi, Guys!" (a catchphrase of the Baxter character) was
released, which included a series of bizarre novelty songs.
Knight eventually starred opposite
Nancy Dussault in his own television
series,
Too Close for Comfort (1980),
which had a healthy run despite the fact that Knight, as the lead, was
more subdued than on the
Mary Tyler Moore classic. Renamed "The
Ted Knight Show" after it became a syndicated series, the series
finally ended in 1986 only due to Knight's terminal illness. The
actor's sole post-Ted Baxter movie role was as a judge in the
golf-themed comedy, Caddyshack (1980),
in which he continually bumped heads with the film's star,
Rodney Dangerfield.
Knight was initially diagnosed with cancer in 1977, for which he was
treated over an extended period of time. In 1985, the television star's
conditioned worsened and the 62-year-old actor died on August 26, 1986,
following surgery for a growth in his urinary tract. He was interred in
the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California (his marker reads
Theodore C. Konopka), and was survived by his wife of 38 years,
Dorothy Knight (nee Smith), and their
three children, Ted Knight Jr.,
Elyse Knight and
Eric Knight.
obscure dramatic, often villainous television work, before finding
enduring fame in a scene-stealing supporting turn on a classic 1970s
sitcom, hilariously overplaying a silver-haired, self-important
imbecile. Although the conceited "stuffed shirt" typecast plagued him
for the rest of his career, the self-proclaimed "Polish Prince of
Comedy" continued on good-naturedly, earning lead status on his own
comedy series. The Connecticut-born actor was christened Tadeusz
(Theodore) Wladyslaw Konopka, the son of a Polish-American family in
his native town of Terryville, Connecticut. A high school dropout, he
enlisted for World War II duty and eventually became a decorated member
of the A Company, 296th Combat Engineer Battalion.
During his tour of duty, Ted developed an interest in acting, returning
home in the post-war years to study his craft in Hartford, Connecticut,
at the Randall School of Dramatic Arts. A fascination with puppetry and
ventriloquism led to his first steady paycheck, as the host of a
children's radio show (WJAR) in Providence, Rhode Island (1950-1955).
Following this, Ted found more work (WROW-TV) in Albany, New York,
hosting a children's variety show while playing radio announcer for its
sister radio station, WROW.
Heading west to Los Angeles, California in 1957, Ted spent most of his
early years providing slick commercial voiceovers and earning minor
roles on television
(Sea Hunt (1958)) and film
(Psycho (1960)). He appeared regularly on
the short-lived,
The New Loretta Young Show (1962),
and the daytime soap opera,
The Young Marrieds (1964).
Other television guest appearances sprouted including dramatic
(The Twilight Zone (1959),
The Fugitive (1963),
Gunsmoke (1955),
Highway Patrol (1955),
Bonanza (1959),
Combat! (1962)) as well as occasional
comedic parts
(McHale's Navy (1962),
Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964),
Get Smart (1965)). But nothing
monumental pushed his career forward.
Ted's well-modulated voice was his moneymaker during the lean years,
whether as an announcer/narrator or cartoon voice character. However,
this anonymity ended went he copped the role of inept, pearly-toothed
WJM anchorman "Ted Baxter" on
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970). The
arrogant but highly insecure character earned Knight two supporting
Emmy trophies (1973, 1976) but severely pigeon-holed him for the rest
of his career. However, the genial actor made the best of it and
continued on stage ("Some of My Best Friends") and in commercials and
TV spots that were similar in persona. In 1975, a musical album
entitled "Hi, Guys!" (a catchphrase of the Baxter character) was
released, which included a series of bizarre novelty songs.
Knight eventually starred opposite
Nancy Dussault in his own television
series,
Too Close for Comfort (1980),
which had a healthy run despite the fact that Knight, as the lead, was
more subdued than on the
Mary Tyler Moore classic. Renamed "The
Ted Knight Show" after it became a syndicated series, the series
finally ended in 1986 only due to Knight's terminal illness. The
actor's sole post-Ted Baxter movie role was as a judge in the
golf-themed comedy, Caddyshack (1980),
in which he continually bumped heads with the film's star,
Rodney Dangerfield.
Knight was initially diagnosed with cancer in 1977, for which he was
treated over an extended period of time. In 1985, the television star's
conditioned worsened and the 62-year-old actor died on August 26, 1986,
following surgery for a growth in his urinary tract. He was interred in
the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California (his marker reads
Theodore C. Konopka), and was survived by his wife of 38 years,
Dorothy Knight (nee Smith), and their
three children, Ted Knight Jr.,
Elyse Knight and
Eric Knight.