‘Knight Rider’ 30 years later: The men, women and the car
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What do you get when you combine a well-meaning billionaire, an ex-cop, a sexy female mechanic and a talking indestructible car? “Knight Rider,” which ran from 1982 to 1986, was the American TV version of “007.”
In the show, which aired weekly, billionaire Wilton Knight saved Michael Long from a near-fatal gunshot wound and gave him a new name along with a set of new fingerprints—and voila, Michael Knight was born. Criminals were left shaking in their boots, because the new representative of Knight Industries also had a talented team behind him (not to mention the ever so invulnerable car, KITT). Our friends at Snakkle.com took a look at where the stars of this classic TV show are today --30 years later!
PHOTOS: See more stars of ‘Knight Rider’ stars and find out where they are today
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}David Hasselhoff
THEN: David Hasselhoff played Michael Long, an ex-cop who was shot in the line of duty. Long took the opportunity to change his identity and started working for Knight Industries, a justice organization. Long-story-short (no pun), Long becomes Michael Knight, an everyday man-turned-hero with some high-tech gadgets and a futuristic car.
NOW: For Hasselhoff, the “Knight Rider” series was only the beginning of his superstar career. He went on to produce and star in “Baywatch,” which made him a sex symbol and pop culture icon. He struck cable TV gold again with the soap drama, “The Young and the Restless” from 1975 to 2010. And in 2010, he was a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” and while he didn’t win, he’s kept himself and his feet busy hitting red carpets and continuing his career in TV and film, as well a music.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Patricia McPherson
THEN: The original hot mechanic for KITT, Patricia McPherson as Bonnie Barstow was an engineering and design whiz. In 1983, Barstow “left for graduate school” and was replaced by the capable April Curtis character.
NOW: Patricia McPherson’s film and TV career didn’t last much longer after “Knight Rider,” because she decided to instead invest her time and money in preserving wildlife and forests. She starred in a few films and scored guest appearances on successful series like “Murder, She Wrote” and “Star Trek: Next Generation” but gave up acting in 2009. She’s married to James Garrett and works on environment protection, now.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rebecca Holden
THEN: Rebecca Holden played the beautiful April Curtis, Bonnie Bartow’s replacement as head of the Knight Industries design team (a.k.a. gorgeous on-call mechanic). Curtis also acted as personal assistant to Devon Miles.
NOW: While Holden’s role as April Curtis on “Knight Rider” brought her into the spotlight, Holden later made a career for herself in the world of country music. She recently released a duet called “Dreams Come True” with Grammy winner with Jon Secada and still performs live.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PHOTOS: See more stars of ‘Knight Rider’ and find out where they are today