Veteran actor David McKnight died on December 3, 2023, at age 87. With a career spanning half a century, McKnight had an extensive career in film and television. Although not famous amongst today’s younger film audiences, he was known for his credits in the 70s and 80s.
David McKnight’s death was not immediately made public but was later announced after a few days in the same week. McKnight was reported to have died from cancer on Sunday, December 3, 2023. Here’s a look at the life, career, and death of David McKnight.
David McKnight’s Early Life
The actor was born on July 2, 1936, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. David McKnight and his family only stayed an additional four years in Mississippi before moving to Chicago, Illinois. The actor spent the rest of his growing years in Chicago. He attended a public High School, Wendell Phillips Academy High School, in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side of Chicago.
The school has a reputation as the first predominantly African-American high school in the city. After graduating, McKnight attended Wilson Junior College. While he was in High School, he developed an interest and passion for acting. However, David McKnight didn’t immediately begin his acting career after college. A patriot at heart, McKnight served his country, serving in the U.S. Army. After his discharge, his love for law enforcement led him to the police academy. After his graduation, McKnight worked as a police officer.
David McKnight’s Acting Career
Although he had a passion for acting at an early age, it wasn’t until he was in his mid-30s that he made his debut. David McKnight made his acting debut starring as Danny Bracy on the Richard Durham-created TV soap opera Bird of the Iron Feather. The show became the first all-Black TV soap opera and aired on Chicago’s WTTW-TV for 21 episodes from January 19 to March 6, 1970. David McKnight moved on to the big screen with credits in Lifeguard (as Bill Winkler), J.D.’s Revenge (as J.D. Walker), and in a minor role as a man in the elevator in Coma (1978).
The 1976 J.D.’s Revenge is arguably his earliest popular role, especially in the United States. McKnight played a man killed 30 years earlier in the movie’s timeline. Possessing the body of a young law student (Glynn Turman), he seeks revenge for those who killed him. The blaxploitation horror movie was directed by Arthur Marks, with Glynn Turman and Louis Gossett Jr. leading the cast. One of David McKnight’s notable performances in the 1980s was playing Uncle Ray in Robert Townsend’s satirical comedy Hollywood Shuffle (1987).
McKnight’s character is a barbershop worker who was a former singer. Uncle Ray is instrumental in guiding and encouraging Bobby Taylor (played by Robert Townsend) to pursue his passion for being an actor. With a production budget of an estimated $100,000, Hollywood Shuffle was a critical and commercial success. It grossed an impressive $5.2 million at the Box Office.
David McKnight’s Later Career
His passion for acting saw the octogenarian actor stay active until his death. Although he took on fewer roles in the last decade of his life, David McKnight’s acting credit ends in 2023, the year he died. McKnight had an 8-year acting hiatus from the late 2000s after portraying Bishop Tutu in the 2008 Superhero Movie. He returned to acting in 2016 with the TV movie A Husband for Christmas, where he played Wade Harris.
Although he didn’t star in any feature movie after his return, he appeared in three TV movies. McKnight’s last TV movie was the Christmas movie A Christmas for Mary, where he played Otis. David McKnight’s last appearance before his death was as Benjamin in the American soap opera A House Divided. He starred in the show for all 5 seasons from July 18, 2019, to February 16, 2023.
David McKnight’s Death
Although he died from cancer, David McKnight lived to the ripe age of 87. McKnight’s health condition was never publicly shared and was unknown to many. While his death was reported to have been from cancer, it’s not known the form/type the actor battled towards the end of his life. However, he reportedly battled cancer for a long time. David McKnight is survived by a daughter and his brother, James. With David McKnight’s death at 87, here’s more about the award winning actor, Donald Sutherland, who died at 88.
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