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.
Born Tadeusz (Theodore) Wladyslaw Konopka, the son of a Polish-American family in Terryville, Connecticut, Ted was a high school dropout who 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),followed by hosting a children's variety show while playing radio announcer for its sister radio station, WROW, in Albany, New York.
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 and film.
He appeared regularly on the short-lived The New Loretta Young Show (1962),and the daytime soap opera, The Young Marrieds (1964),as well as making guest appearances on various television shows, including dramatic and comedic roles.
However, it wasn't until he landed the role of inept, pearly-toothed WJM anchorman "Ted Baxter" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) that his career gained momentum, earning him two supporting Emmy trophies (1973, 1976).
The character's conceited "stuffed shirt" typecast plagued him for the rest of his career, but the self-proclaimed "Polish Prince of Comedy" continued on good-naturedly, earning lead status on his own comedy series, Too Close for Comfort (1980),renamed "The Ted Knight Show" after it became a syndicated series.
Ted Knight was initially diagnosed with cancer in 1977, and his condition worsened in 1985, eventually leading to his death on August 26, 1986, at the age of 62, following surgery for a growth in his urinary tract.
He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, 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.
