Keith Knight dead at 51

No more franks for Finkelstein

Keith Knight, who is perhaps best known for his role as counsellor-in-training Larry Finklestein in the film ``Meatballs,'' has died. He was 51.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native whose passion for acting saw him work professionally on stage, film and television for nearly 30 years, died Wednesday night at his home in Toronto of brain cancer. ``Meatballs'' is the 1979 Canadian comedy that marked Knight's feature film debut and cast ``Saturday Night Live'' alum Bill Murray in his first starring role.

Knight's other film credits include ``Looking for Angelina,'' ``Owning Mahowny,'' ``My Bloody Valentine,'' ``Hog Wild,'' ``Gas'' and ``Class of 1984.''

He appeared in dozens of community theatre productions in his hometown in the mid- to late-1970s - ending with an award-winning performance at Theatre Ontario - before launching his professional career in 1978.

He was appearing in a Blythe Summer Festival production in Blythe, Ont., when he auditioned for ``Meatballs.'' The film's producers liked his work so much that they bought out his theatre contract so he could appear in the comedy.

``Meatballs,'' budgeted at $1.6 million and shot in Haliburton, Ont., earned more than $25 million in the first six weeks of its release, making it, at the time, the top-grossing Canadian film of all time.

Knight, who was featured on a 47-minute commentary included in a DVD release of the film, ate more than 100 hot dogs during filming of a hot dog-eating contest.

He appeared as defence attorney Uriah McFadden in Platinum Image Film's production of ``Looking for Angelina'' in 2004. That film, shot in Sault Ste. Marie, was released on DVD last fall.

The director of ``Looking for Angelina'' was ``shocked and overwhelmed'' when he learned about Knight's death.

``He brought a lot of choices and interpretations to the character,'' said Sergio Navarretta.

``He was very much a team player. He was very accommodating and willing to take on the challenge of shooting it live in sequence and working through those gruelling days.''

In the 1981 feature ``Gas,'' Knight appeared alongside Howie Mandel and Donald Sutherland.

Knight performed at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., in the early 1980s in ``Cyrano de Bergerac,'' ``The Music Cure'' and ``Too True to Be Good.''

His television credits included roles in ``Queer as Folk,'' ``The Littlest Hobo,'' ``Road to Avonlea,'' ``Seeing Things'' and ``Street Legal.''

He appeared in more than 160 television commercials pitching goods for Laura Secord, Water Pik, Bounce and Lotto 649.

In latter years, Knight switched to voice work in animated shows, including ``The Busy World of Richard Scarry,'' ``The Blazing Dragons,'' ``Ace Ventura'' and ``Rupert the Bear.''

Knight is survived by his wife, Jenifer McCullough.