IT TAKES years to become a successful actor…right? Well don’t tell that to Tom Benedict Knight. The rising British actor decided just a few short years ago to make the change from property developer to thespian and judging by the speed his star is rising in Hollywood, real estate’s loss is Tinseltown’s gain…
According to his social media profile, Tom enjoyed a successful career in property in his twenties before deciding on a drastic career change when he was 33. Determined to become an actor, Tom enrolled in the famous Lee Strasberg Film and Theatre Institute in New York and in three short years has built an impressive resume of film and television roles. He can been seen over Labor Day weekend in the miniseries Houdini, airing on the History Channel at 9pm on Monday, September 1st, starring as Dash Houdini, younger brother of Harry, the famous escapologist and illusionist.
This four-hour biopic is directed by Uli Edel and follows Houdini (Adrien Brody) from his humble beginnings as an Eastern European immigrant trying to become a stage magician under his birth name, Erich Weiss, to his role as the world’s first superstar as The Great Harry Houdini. The show looks closely at the man behind the tricks, particularly his campaign to debunk spiritualism, which involved him attending séances in disguise and using his training as a stage magician to expose the frauds. The series examines Houdini’s personal life too, notably his encounters with the likes of Rasputin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and his relationship with his wife Bess (Kristen Connolly).
Other upcoming roles for Knight include the forthcoming Universal Studios motion picture Dracula Untold alongside Luke Evans and Dominic Cooper. Knight also stars in the role of Michael Franzese in God The Father, the life story biopic of ‘La Cosa Nostra’ boss Michael Franzese, the Mob boss who became a Minister of the Church, directed by Simon Fellows. God The Father is due for its US theatrical release later this year.
For a glimpse of Knight’s remarkable accent versatility, visit YouTube to see him perform 31 accents in a nine-minute monolog that has become something of a calling card for the actor.
Houdini the two-part, four hour miniseries by the History Channel will premiere on Labor Day, Monday September 1, 2014, at 9 pm EST.
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