Wayne Knight is reflecting on an unexpected consequence of his long-term weight loss: for a time, it nearly slowed his career to a standstill. The actor, forever associated with Newman from Seinfeld, revealed that shedding more than 100 pounds over several years altered how casting directors viewed him, disrupting decades-old expectations.
As Knight explained, the industry needed time to adjust, joking that “it takes time for people to accept you as you are, and then they find out whether or not you can still do things without being fat.”
© NBCThat period of uncertainty makes his recent return to the spotlight all the more striking. At 70, Knight has landed a prominent role in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, marking a dramatic reversal after years when opportunities slowed as his familiar look disappeared. While many might assume weight loss would automatically expand an actor’s range, Knight said it initially had the opposite effect, leaving casting directors unsure how to place him once he no longer fit the roles they had long associated with him.
Knight was careful to emphasize that his transformation was neither sudden nor fueled by a single solution. Addressing speculation about weight loss drugs, he explained that the process unfolded gradually over many years, noting that he has lost roughly 100 pounds since appearing in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.
© Michael BucknerWhen asked how he managed such a dramatic change, Knight resisted offering a neat answer, quipping that it involved “everything that anyone could ever try,” before joking that the list included “therapy to drugs to surgery to radiation to being taken by aliens.”
Even when pressed about more traditional methods, Knight maintained his trademark deadpan humor, conceding that discipline played a role as well. “What do you mean, not eating?” he said. “Yes, that does work.” The comment underscored both the complexity of his journey and his refusal to frame the transformation as a simple or easily replicable formula.
© Michael BucknerIn a separate conversation with his former Seinfeld co-star Jason Alexander, Knight admitted that his slimmer appearance created an entirely new kind of typecasting problem. When Alexander remarked that Knight now looked like “a leading man,” the actor immediately pushed back, responding that it was “the worst possible thing that could’ve happened to me,” before explaining that “nobody wants an attractive-looking Wayne Knight.” The exchange highlighted how deeply his career had been shaped by a specific visual identity, and how difficult it can be to escape it even when circumstances change.
Despite those concerns, Knight’s career has gained fresh momentum. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 topped the box office on its opening weekend, setting records for the biggest December horror opening and the largest post-Thanksgiving theatrical debut. In the sequel, which is based on the hit video game franchise, Knight plays villainous science teacher Mr. Berg, starring alongside Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, Matthew Lillard as William Afton, Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa Shelly, Skeet Ulrich as Henry Emily, and Mckenna Grace as Lisa.
© Savion WashingtonFor Knight, the film’s success represents more than a commercial win. After years of recalibration and professional uncertainty, the actor has reemerged with renewed visibility, proving that reinvention does not always follow a straight line, and that even the most recognizable faces in Hollywood can still find surprising second acts.
