Wayne Knight's Real Name: Wayne Knight

Quick answer: The actor works as Wayne Knight, which is his own name. TV Guide gives his birth name as Wayne Eliot Knight, while a Library of Congress note spells the middle name Elliot. Encyclopedia.com and the Los Angeles Times say he was born in New York City on August 7, 1955, and raised in Cartersville, Georgia.

Real name and early life

Encyclopedia.com's biography says he was born August 7, 1955, in New York, raised in Cartersville, Georgia, and studied theatre at the University of Georgia. A 1993 Los Angeles Times profile agrees: "Born in New York City, Knight grew up in rural Cartersville, Ga." TV Guide's page instead lists Cartersville as his birthplace, so the birthplace differs by source. The Library of Congress record gives the same August 7, 1955, date.

On the middle name, TV Guide lists the birth name Wayne Eliot Knight, and the Library of Congress note reads Wayne Elliot Knight. Because the spelling conflicts, the middle name is unresolved.

The Los Angeles Times says he left the University of Georgia to work at the Barter Theater in Virginia, then moved to New York after earning his Actors' Equity card and landed a role in the long-running Broadway comedy Gemini. Encyclopedia.com lists that role as Herschel Weinberger, around 1979 to 1981. The Times says he worked as a private investigator between acting jobs.

Career highlights

Encyclopedia.com lists film roles in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), JFK (1991), Basic Instinct (1992), and Jurassic Park (1993), where he played the programmer Dennis Nedry. TV Guide says Steven Spielberg cast him in Jurassic Park after seeing his interrogation scene in Basic Instinct. The Times noted in 1993 that he was then appearing on three NBC series at once.

His best-known TV role is Newman, described by the Times as Kramer's slovenly friend on Seinfeld, which Encyclopedia.com dates from 1992 to 1998. TV Guide says he had auditioned for George Costanza before landing Newman. The Times reported that in big cities he was usually recognized as Newman, including by chanting fans at Yankee Stadium.

Encyclopedia.com lists his role as Officer Don Orville on 3rd Rock from the Sun from 1997 to 2001 and his voice of Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2 (1999). It records a Saturn Award nomination for Jurassic Park, a Viewers for Quality Television award for Seinfeld, and ensemble Screen Actors Guild nominations for 3rd Rock. TV Guide adds voice work in Hercules.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Wayne Knight, Wayne Eliot Knight, or Wayne Elliot Knight are looking for the same actor. Newman and Dennis Nedry are characters, not his names.