Ted Knight

Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923 – August 26, 1986) was an American actor best known for his comedic roles in television shows and movies. He portrayed Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Henry Rush in Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack. Knight was born in Terryville, Connecticut, to Polish-American parents. He dropped out of high school to enlist in the United States Army during World War II. After the war, Knight studied acting in Hartford, Connecticut, and became skilled in puppets and ventriloquism. He worked as a television children’s show host at WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1950 to 1955.