What To Know
- Greg Evigan turned down the lead role in Knight Rider because he felt it was too similar to his previous role in B.J. and the Bear.
- Evigan wanted to avoid being typecast and was seeking different opportunities after feeling limited by his earlier work.
- David Hasselhoff ultimately starred as Michael Knight in Knight Rider.
Greg Evigan revealed the real reason he turned down the lead role in Knight Rider.
In an interview on Pop Culture Retro podcast published on September 16, Evigan, 72, opened up about his decision to pass on Knight Rider after starring in the ’70s sitcom B.J. and the Bear. The latter starred him as a truck driver who spoke to his pet chimpanzee, while the former follows a former police detective who fights crime and talks to a sentient car.
When asked if he really turned down Knight Rider, Evigan confirmed, “Yes, I did.”
He explained, “Well, you know, my daughter was just born, and I’m sitting out in the hammock with her, and I get a call [from my agent]. And he says, ‘Hey, Greg, I got a really good one. You’re going to love it.’ I say, ‘Oh, yeah. What is it?’ He says, ‘Um, well, it’s this guy in a car, you know, and he talks to the car.’ And I go, ‘Alright, but I’ve been talking to a chimp.’”
Evigan pointed out that he “didn’t want to do the same thing again,” adding that Knight Rider seemed “very similar” to B.J. and the Bear.
“I really got typecast in that role, you know,” he said. “So it was hard to get other jobs after that and you really do get typecast, and then I was looking for something different.”
Ultimately, David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight in Knight Rider. Evigan later starred in the sitcom My Two Dads, which ran for three seasons from 1987 to 1990.
Knight Rider aired for four seasons from 1982 to 1986. In addition to Hasselhoff, the show starred Edward Mulhare, Richard Basehart, Patricia McPherson, Rebecca Holden, and Peter Parros.
Knight Rider, streaming on The Roku Channel and Tubi