Wayne Knight

Whether a blessing or a curse, actor Wayne Knight will be forever remembered as Newman, the annoying neighbor and chief nemesis to Jerry Seinfeld on the famed sitcom "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998). But aside from his enormously popular turn as Seinfeld's nefarious foil, Knight made a name for himself by appearing in a number of television series and films while lending his distinctive voice to extensive voiceover projects. He had notable supporting turns as one of Jim Garrison's investigators in "JFK" (1991), a DNA thief in "Jurassic Park" (1993) and the assistant district attorney who examines Sharon Stone during her infamous leg crossing scene in "Basic Instinct" (1992). From there, he began his long run on "Seinfeld" while simultaneously playing the uninformed officer Don Orville on "3rd Rock from the Sun" (NBC, 1996-2001). Knight also voiced characters in animated films like "Hercules" (1997), "Tarzan" (1999) and "Toy Story 2" (1999), as well as animated series on the Cartoon Network. After "Seinfeld" ended in 1998, he made a string of guest appearances on both dramas and comedies, including "Nip/Tuck" (FX, 2003-2010), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000-2015) and "Hot in Cleveland" (TV Land, 2010-15), and even reprised Newman on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ). By the time he had a recurring role as a CIA honcho on the British series "Torchwood: Miracle Day" (BBC One/Starz, 2011), Knight was one of the most in-demand character actors working in the business.