A native of Somerville Massachusetts, Knight earned his BA at the University of Massachusetts, then attended graduate school at the Catholic University of America. He later joined a classical touring company and played Shakespeare and Greek tragedy all over the United States and in Europe. He served in the U.S. Army and did some teaching before going to work in New York.
In New York, Knight appeared on Broadway in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and in musical revivals at Lincoln Center and The City Center. He relocated to California in 1972. In television, he had a recurring role on "Cheers", starred with Dom Deluise in "Lotsa Luck", was a regular on "James at 16" and the variety shows of Garry Moore, Susan Anton and Peter Marshall. He twice guested on the "Tonight Show". He most recently appeared in "JAG", "NYPD Blue", "Spin City", and "All That" and "Nick Cannon" on Nickelodeon.

In films, Knight appeared as a detective in "L.A. Confidential", as an investigating patrolman in "Rosemary's Baby", an NYPD detective in "The Sicilian Clan", and as Sheriff Wyatt in "The Class of 1999 II". He will appear as a railroad worker in Stephen Spielberg's upcoming film "Catch Me If You Can".

Off-screen, Knight is an avid softball player. He has pitched in 12 National Championship Tournaments and was named a 1st Team All American in 1988. He has posted 44 no-hit games, including a perfect game in league play. He is a member of the world-famous 4-man Softball Team, The King and His Court.

Highlights in his memory are traveling with the Ball club, chatting with JFK in the Rose Garden, being touched by the Pope in Luxembourg, meeting the father of one of the girls killed in the Birmingham Sunday School bombing, standing on Pad 39 where three astronauts died in a training accident, watching John Glenn go into space in 1962 at Cape Canaveral, waving back to Queen Elizabeth in Hyde Park and being present at the birth of his sons David and John.