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Pulver, a star of the BBC series "Robin Hood," is reimagining Lucille because the Donmar's Leo, Bertie Carvel, was what she calls "T.R's opposite in every way. Bertie is 6-foot-2 and long-limbed." Knight, who is a trim 5-foot-8, "is much more sensitive and compassionate. What's quite heartbreaking is that he is able to find the most beautiful sincerity and vulnerability as Leo. However, he still has that wonderful, gritty New York directness that is at odds with the Southern belle. He has all those elements, and yet you have that suspicion -- did he rape and murder a young girl?"
In real life, Knight exudes a sweetness and sensitivity that enhance his boy-next-door looks. He is generous and unassuming. During an interview at the theater a few weeks ago, he kept crediting others -- this casting director, that costar-- for his success. When a man popped into the room looking for chairs, Knight jumped up and lugged several out the door.
Within the "Parade" company, Knight is one of the gang. When it's someone's birthday, he brings the cake. In rehearsals, he's earnest about asking questions, unabashed about absorbing the day's ups ("I finally got the hang of singing and walking") and downs ("On those big notes, I'm afraid of sounding like a goat"). "Everything is a process," he likes to say. "Every day we progress."
Such steadfastness was a lesson Knight learned as a young actor. In his early 20s, while he was a member of the Guthrie company, he grew dejected over his repeated failures to gain admission to drama schools in New York. "One of my mentors said, 'There is more than one way to skin a cat.' It was his benediction. It lifted the heaviness and made me realize there is more than one path. A door is closed. You find another one."
Gaining a foothold
Knight went to New York on his own and rode "the roller coaster of work and unemployment." He made it to Broadway in a 2001 revival of Michael Frayn's "Noises Off" and a 2003 production of "Tartuffe." Off-Broadway, he received a Drama Desk nomination for a 2003 production of Anto Howard's "Scattergood."
Trying his luck in Hollywood, Knight landed two TV pilots. One didn't go anywhere; the other was a drama about interns at a Seattle hospital. "Grey's Anatomy" premiered in 2005 and was an immediate sensation. Knight became a fan favorite and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007.
Three years ago, he found himself smack in the middle of the media spotlight when "Grey's" costar Isaiah Washington reportedly referred to him using an anti-gay slur. Subsequently, Washington lost his job and Knight publicly came out. Within the past year, rumors about Knight's growing unhappiness with the series swirled -- until his departure was announced.
In July, he told Entertainment Weekly that instead of trying to discuss his concerns with Rhimes he asked for his freedom. He declines to elaborate beyond what he told the magazine, saying "it's pointless to rehash." Since his decision was made public, Knight says, he's encountered "the expected noise"-- ranging from fans' cries of betrayal to sniping about how foolish he was to walk away to speculation about what he'll do next.
Knight is discussing possibly appearing in a Broadway revival of Ken Ludwig's comedy "Lend Me a Tenor," but he says nothing is official. He never would have thought about doing a musical if Center Theatre Group hadn't called. There were no special deals. "I auditioned," he says. "I'm just grateful they were thinking outside the box."
Knight has worked extensively with "Parade" musical director Tom Murray and vocal coach Eric Vetro. He is a regular at Vetro's Toluca Lake home studio -- a sunlit space lined with photos of clients such as Hugh Jackman, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Bette Midler and the Goo Goo Dolls.
One muggy morning, Knight arrived armed with his stuffed music binder and a gigantic bottle of water. Once Vetro had settled at the piano, Knight warmed up by rolling through arpeggios. Then, he and Vetro went line by line through "How Can I Call This Home?," a litany of all the ways in which Frank doesn't belong in the South. Like many of "Parade's" numbers, it requires attention be paid to each note and nuance.
Throughout the lesson, the student more often than the teacher asked questions and delivered critiques: "Why do I drop out phrases?" "I run short of breath here."
"T.R. works hard," says Vetro later, "but he laughs a lot too. He has a wicked sense of humor. He's also very opinionated and has a real strong moral compass. Some people don't suffer fools. T.R. does not suffer people who don't have integrity or who are not sensitive to other people's needs."
Vetro has seen Knight make a big leap since his audition. "The look in his eye has gone from 'I'm not sure about this' to a look of confidence. When we first started, it was T.R. Knight singing the music. Now you see the character, Leo Frank. That's when I breathed easier and said, 'This is going to be something special.' "
After "Parade," Knight has no firm plans beyond finishing the restoration of his 1930s Tudor home in L.A. He doesn't reveal much about his personal life except that he still hangs out with his "Grey's Anatomy" costars and will catch up on his old show, including that opening episode in which George is buried and mourned -- but in which Knight did not appear.
Otherwise, he says, "I just want to be lucky enough to work, and to work with people I admire. I love acting. I love doing work that is challenging -- and slightly terrifying."
calendar@latimes.com
In real life, Knight exudes a sweetness and sensitivity that enhance his boy-next-door looks. He is generous and unassuming. During an interview at the theater a few weeks ago, he kept crediting others -- this casting director, that costar-- for his success. When a man popped into the room looking for chairs, Knight jumped up and lugged several out the door.
Within the "Parade" company, Knight is one of the gang. When it's someone's birthday, he brings the cake. In rehearsals, he's earnest about asking questions, unabashed about absorbing the day's ups ("I finally got the hang of singing and walking") and downs ("On those big notes, I'm afraid of sounding like a goat"). "Everything is a process," he likes to say. "Every day we progress."
Such steadfastness was a lesson Knight learned as a young actor. In his early 20s, while he was a member of the Guthrie company, he grew dejected over his repeated failures to gain admission to drama schools in New York. "One of my mentors said, 'There is more than one way to skin a cat.' It was his benediction. It lifted the heaviness and made me realize there is more than one path. A door is closed. You find another one."
Gaining a foothold
Knight went to New York on his own and rode "the roller coaster of work and unemployment." He made it to Broadway in a 2001 revival of Michael Frayn's "Noises Off" and a 2003 production of "Tartuffe." Off-Broadway, he received a Drama Desk nomination for a 2003 production of Anto Howard's "Scattergood."
Trying his luck in Hollywood, Knight landed two TV pilots. One didn't go anywhere; the other was a drama about interns at a Seattle hospital. "Grey's Anatomy" premiered in 2005 and was an immediate sensation. Knight became a fan favorite and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007.
Three years ago, he found himself smack in the middle of the media spotlight when "Grey's" costar Isaiah Washington reportedly referred to him using an anti-gay slur. Subsequently, Washington lost his job and Knight publicly came out. Within the past year, rumors about Knight's growing unhappiness with the series swirled -- until his departure was announced.
In July, he told Entertainment Weekly that instead of trying to discuss his concerns with Rhimes he asked for his freedom. He declines to elaborate beyond what he told the magazine, saying "it's pointless to rehash." Since his decision was made public, Knight says, he's encountered "the expected noise"-- ranging from fans' cries of betrayal to sniping about how foolish he was to walk away to speculation about what he'll do next.
Knight is discussing possibly appearing in a Broadway revival of Ken Ludwig's comedy "Lend Me a Tenor," but he says nothing is official. He never would have thought about doing a musical if Center Theatre Group hadn't called. There were no special deals. "I auditioned," he says. "I'm just grateful they were thinking outside the box."
Knight has worked extensively with "Parade" musical director Tom Murray and vocal coach Eric Vetro. He is a regular at Vetro's Toluca Lake home studio -- a sunlit space lined with photos of clients such as Hugh Jackman, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Bette Midler and the Goo Goo Dolls.
One muggy morning, Knight arrived armed with his stuffed music binder and a gigantic bottle of water. Once Vetro had settled at the piano, Knight warmed up by rolling through arpeggios. Then, he and Vetro went line by line through "How Can I Call This Home?," a litany of all the ways in which Frank doesn't belong in the South. Like many of "Parade's" numbers, it requires attention be paid to each note and nuance.
Throughout the lesson, the student more often than the teacher asked questions and delivered critiques: "Why do I drop out phrases?" "I run short of breath here."
"T.R. works hard," says Vetro later, "but he laughs a lot too. He has a wicked sense of humor. He's also very opinionated and has a real strong moral compass. Some people don't suffer fools. T.R. does not suffer people who don't have integrity or who are not sensitive to other people's needs."
Vetro has seen Knight make a big leap since his audition. "The look in his eye has gone from 'I'm not sure about this' to a look of confidence. When we first started, it was T.R. Knight singing the music. Now you see the character, Leo Frank. That's when I breathed easier and said, 'This is going to be something special.' "
After "Parade," Knight has no firm plans beyond finishing the restoration of his 1930s Tudor home in L.A. He doesn't reveal much about his personal life except that he still hangs out with his "Grey's Anatomy" costars and will catch up on his old show, including that opening episode in which George is buried and mourned -- but in which Knight did not appear.
Otherwise, he says, "I just want to be lucky enough to work, and to work with people I admire. I love acting. I love doing work that is challenging -- and slightly terrifying."
calendar@latimes.com
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