Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC

medical drama A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...

television series ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

Early life

Knight was born March 26, 1973, in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, where he became involved with the

Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions among Sir Tyrone Gut ...

at the age of twelve."Biography. T. R. Knight"
infoplease.com. Retrieved March 31, 2015 He attended Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, for grades K-8. Knight received the Conners Foundation Scholarship as a freshman and apprenticed at the

Children's Theatre Company The Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is a regional theater established in 1965 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in plays for families, young audiences and the very young. The theater is the largest theater for multigenerational audien ...

. He also worked at the local Red Owl supermarket alongside his brother. After finishing high school at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Knight enrolled at the University of St. Thomas for a brief period of time.Papatola, Dominic P
"'Grey's Anatomy' star comes home for a project near to his heart"
twincities.com, October 12, 2008 He dropped out and soon landed leading roles at the Guthrie Theater.

Career

Knight moved to New York City and appeared on the stage. He played opposite Patti LuPone in the 2001 Broadway revival of ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funni ...

''. He performed in 2003 as Damis in ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

''. He performed in the 2003

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production of ''Scattergood'', receiving a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Knight also starred Off-Broadway at Primary Stages in the 2004 drama ''Boy''. On television, Knight was a regular cast member of the short-lived

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. Since 1975, he has been Nathan Lane on screen and stage, on stage and screen in both comedic and dramatic roles. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Na ...

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her complex and versatile roles across the stage and screen, she has received various accolades throughout a career spanning more than four d ...

2003 CBS television series '' Charlie Lawrence''. In 2005, Knight was cast in his breakthrough role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama ''

''. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, O'Malley worked his way up to resident level, while his relationships with his colleagues

Meredith Grey Meredith Grey M.D., F.A.C.S., (born 1977 or 1978) is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was c ...

(

Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances on ''Forbes'' year-end lists. Her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and a ...

Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for 20 seasons on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the ...

(

Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Rita Wu in ''Arliss (TV series), Arliss'' (1996–2002), Cristina Yang in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–14), and Eve Polastri in ''Kill ...

), Izzie Stevens (

Katherine Heigl Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...

) and Alex Karev ( Justin Chambers) formed a focal point of the series. When Knight auditioned for the show, he expected a one-season run. In 2009, after the conclusion of the fifth season, it was confirmed that Knight would not be returning for the show's sixth season. The actor said the reason for his departure was due to a "breakdown in communication" with executive producer

Shonda Rhimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Rhimes became known ...

, his character's lack of screen time, and his decision to come out as gay. Knight received generally positive reviews for his performance as O'Malley, and garnered a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Knight starred as Leo Frank in a production of the musical ''Parade'', which opened October 4, 2009, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. He returned to Broadway in

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

's '' A Life in the Theatre'' in 2010, where he played the role of John, opposite

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...

. In 2019, he voiced Sir Cedric, the gay protagonist in the animated series '' The Bravest Knight''. In 2016, a sci-fi series called '' 11.22.63'' with

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002 film series), ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), ''Milk (2008 American film), Milk'' (200 ...

aired for one season. Knight plays Johnny Clayton, Franco's love interest's abusive husband.

Personal life

Knight came out as gay during his role on ''Grey's Anatomy'' in 2006. After his role on the hit series ended, Knight married his husband Patrick B. Leahy, a ballet dancer and writer, in

Hudson, New York Hudson is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, it had a population of 5,894. On the east side of the Hudson River, f ...

, on October 7, 2013.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

;Broadway Source: Playbill Vault"T.R. Knight Broadway"
playbillvault.com. Retrieved March 31, 2015 * ''

'' (2001 revival) as Tim Allgood * ''

'' (2003 revival) as Damis * '' A Life in the Theatre'' (2010) as John * ''

It's Only a Play ''It's Only a Play'' is a play by Terrence McNally. The play originally opened off-off-Broadway in 1982. It was revived off-Broadway in 1986, and on Broadway in 2014. The plot concerns a party where a producer, playwright, director, actors and ...

'' (2015) as Frank Finger * '' Stranger Things: The First Shadow'' (2025) as Victor Creel ;Off-Broadway Source: Internet Off-Broadway Database * '' Marvin's Room'' (1998) * '' This Lime Tree Bower'' (1999) as Joe * ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' (1999) as Donalbain/Messenger * ''The Refreshment of the Spirit'' (2000) * ''Right Way to Sue'' (2001 at HERE Mainstage) as Franklin/Various characters * ''The Hologram Theory'' (2000) at MCGinn/Cazale Theater as Tweety * ''The Lake's End'' (2003) * ''Scattergood'' (2003) as Brendan Hilliard * ''Voices of Peace and Dissent'' (2003) at Worth Street Theatre * ''Boy'' (2004) as title character * ''The Marriage of Bette & Boo'' (2007) * ''Sold'' (2011) as Michael * ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (2013) as

Mercutio Mercutio ( , ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, ''Romeo and Juliet''. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the ...

* ''Pocatello'' (2014) (Playwrights Horizons) ;Readings * ''Truth or Consequences'' (Staged Reading) * ''The Fool'' (2002) (Staged Reading) * ''White People'' (Staged Reading) * ''The Scholar'' (Staged Reading) * '' Lend Me a Tenor'' (2009) (Staged Reading) * ''On a Clear Day'' (2010) (Staged Reading) * '' Torch Song Trilogy'' (2011) (Staged Reading) * '' June Moon ''(2011) (Roundabout PlayReading Series) * ''

Honeymoon in Vegas ''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Plot Private eye Jack Singer swore to his mother on her deathbed that h ...

'' (2011) (Staged Reading) as Jack Singer * ''

The Miser ''The Miser'' (; ) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9, 1668, in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris. This is a character com ...

'' (2012) (Reading) ;Regional * ''What Didn't Happen'' (2000) (Workshop at Vassar) * ''Earth to Bucky'' (2003) at Bay Street Theater as Bucky * ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

'' (2009) as Leo Frank at Mark Taper Forum – Los Angeles, CA * ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...

'' (2012) (radio theater) as Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplev, James Bridges Theater at UCLA – Los Angeles, CA ;Guthrie Theater – Minneapolis, MN"Actor TR Knight To Return For Minn.'s Guthrie Gala"
minnesota.cbslocal.com, May 3, 2013 * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' (1978–1980, 1996) as Tiny Tim, Dick Wilkins/Others * '' Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' (1996) as Joe * '' She Stoops to Conquer'' (1996) * '' Racing Demon'' as Ewan Gilmour (1997) * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1997) as Francis Flute * ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' (1998) as Watchman * '' Ah, Wilderness!'' (1999) as Richard Miller * '' Amadeus'' (2001) as

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

;Jungle Theater – Minneapolis, MN * '' Journey's End'' as 2nd Lt. Jimmy Raleigh (1995) ;Minnesota History Theatre – St. Paul, MN * ''Civil Ceremony'' as Samuel (1996) ;Illusion Theatre – Minneapolis, MN * ''Angelheaded Hipster: Howl for Allen'' (1997) as

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...

;Women's Club of Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN * ''

The Laramie Project ''The Laramie Project'' is a 2000 American play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project (specifically, Leigh Fondakowski, writer-director; Stephen Belber, Greg Pierotti, Barbara Pitts, Stephen Wangh, Amanda Gronich, Sar ...

'' (2008) ;Chanhassen Dinner Theatres – Chanhassen, MN * ''

Brighton Beach Memoirs ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. The play is a coming-of-age comedy focused on the main character of Eugene Morris Jerome, a Jewish teenager from a Polish immigrant family. It is set in September 1937 in ...

'' (1993) as Eugene Morris Jerome ;Theatre in the Round – Minneapolis, MN * '' Gemini'' (1992) as Randy ;Off-Broadway Musical Theatre – New Hope, MN * ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' (1985) as Oliver

References

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...

2006 interview
at

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

2006 article
from

Minneapolis Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the seventh-largest in the United States by circula ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, T.R. 1973 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male stage actors American male television actors American gay actors American people of German descent LGBTQ people from Minnesota Male actors from Minneapolis