T.R. Knight Has Lots of Endings And New Beginnings - Grey's Anatomy To Parade

Actor T.R. Knight (Theodore Raymond Knight) has been recently making the rounds of the talk shows.  He was on Ellen and a few days ago he was on Bonnie Hunt.

I adore Bonnie's show and watch it faithfully.  Although I was raised Irish Catholic in the Midwest, I grew up in St. Louis which is not exactly Chicago, but I did spend a lot of time in Chicago growing up.

(Image of TR Knight as Dr. George O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy - Season One - The Self Destruct Buttom - ABC.com - All Rights Reserved).

Bonnie had Grey's Anatomy alum T.R. Knight (Dr. George O'Malley) run through a line of well wishers wearing a bright blue track suit which he was supposed to rip off as he approached the stage.

Almost like the kind of line that fighters or football players run through.  A spotlight captured T.R. as he ran towards Bonnie's desk.  An announcer provided TR's stats saying he had been on Grey's Anatomy for five seasons as the lovable Dr. George O'Malley"

Unfortunately all did not go as planned with the track suit which the actor was supposed to rip off.  T.R. had to sit on the floor by Bonnie's desk to rip the suit off.  The actor waved hello to the live audience.

He told Bonnie "How are you doing.  It's very nice to meet you" and "the snaps were pretty strong, I haven't worn a lot of track suits, I know it's a surprise."  Bonnie was laughing and seemed quite amused.

TR said "thank you for that because I was going to feel a little left out."  TR was laughing.

Bonnie Hunt Tells TR Knight He Is Adored

She said "you deserve that (the big welcome) you're adored."  T.R. who looked very boyish in a plaid shirt said "I don''t know about that."  Bonnie repeated herself "you are adored."  She also pointed out that TR has been acting for many years even before his turn on Grey's Anatomy that's when she noted "you got into everyone's hearts and minds, right."

Bonnie said "I was reading all the reviews this morning and I was WOW I've got to go see you in this" about TR's role (Leo Frank) in the play Parade which she said "is a very deep play emotionally" and in which TR sings.

TR Stars In Parade

The actor seemed happy to discuss his role in the play which he said "is a true story based on this man who is accused of murdering this young woman.  But it's a beautiful musical.  Jason Robert Brown wrote the music and Alfred Uhry wrote the book and I'm just very happy to be a part of it and that they thought of me and I'm singing."

Bonnie said "I knowwwww."  TR said he has "done" any singing "since I was 19 (he's 36) I was Squire Dap in Camelot" in a "brief stint in College."  Bonnie said "I love Camelot."  TR asked Bonnie "do you remember Squire Dap?  Bonnie said "nooooo"  TR said "oh well."

TR Knight As Tiny Tim

Bonnie showed a photo of a 5 year old TR Knight playing Tiny Tim when he "was 5, 6 and 7 because I was that short."  He said he was only able to do it for "three seasons" because Tiny Tim had to be a little kid.

Bonnie asked what it did to him as a little kid doing the show every night.

TR said "I think so, I don't remember much because I was 5.  The ham in the little kid kinda comes out. I remember really loving it.  That's what I remember of it. "  He said when he was 7 he remembered "not eating because he wanted to stay short because I had to do it."  TR said "which maybe explains the height I am."  He said "could be true, what if I ate."

Bonnie said "you're height doesn't matter, not when you're lying down." TR laughed.  Bonnie said "are you afraid of me? You should be my friend"  TR said "no, I'm not afraid of you."

Bonnie said "how did you go from a little kid playing Tiny Tim" and "of course your big tour in Camelot as a Squire.  Now you're grown up, and you're saying to yourself I want to go to college, I'm not.  How did you make that transition, did you do all the waiter jobs and all that stuff?"

TR Knight's Role As A Waiter Complete With Nightmares Of Dead Dinner Guests

TR said "Yeah, oh definitely, I mean, I think everyone has to, or everyone should, I think everyone should be a server at one point or another.  I wasn't good at it at all, but I remember."  He continued by saying "I just remember frittatas those omelets, they're flat and they slide off plates easily."

He noted "and the worst part of it, I was not a great server, but the worst part was the dreams. I would have these anxiety dreams about it.  And like one was, I would get off my shift but then all of a sudden I would get a call a couple of days later saying 'what did you do, where are you?  We've been looking for you, we've been looking for you.'  And I would go back to the restaurant and everyone was dead at the table. Yeah. They're all like skeletons, and decomposing and like waiting for their food, it wasn't very good.  I took it very seriously, very very seriously."

After telling Bonnie his dream, who kept saying "oh my goodness"  TR said "oh well."  Bonnie asked if after the waiter jobs he went to New York?

TR said yes, "Minneapolis is a great theater scene and I worked there for awhile and I was 25 and I moved to New York."

Would TR Go Back To Grey's Anatomy If They Asked?

Bonnie brought up the topic about TR recently leaving Grey's Anatomy and said she understand why he wanted to leave to go onto other things.  She noted it was probably just time for him to go on.

TR was very cool about the entire topic and said briefly "it was just time, yeah."

Bonnie asked if he would ever go back to Grey's Anatomy which she said she would love to see.  TR answered "he's dead."  The talk show hostess said she knew that but still.

TR asked "how would he (George) age?" because "I'm still aging."  Although he didn't say no for sure he did say "I don't know (how they could do that) unless you do, what do you call it, like the Benjamin Button thing with CGI" and make him look a different age using special effects.

TR On The Muppets

Bonnie said "listen, you're a good actor you can do whatever."  She told him "I'm envious because you were on the Muppets."

TR agreed that it was a great honor to be on The Muppets.  He told Bonnie "I was the letter of the day."  Bonnie showed a clip of TR on The Muppets.  "And to get a chance to be on it was a dream.  I was a letter of the day.  I was wearing a blue costume to look like a lower letter i."

He said "I also got, there was an iguana and an ice cream cone and I got to work with them as well." Bonnie teased him "and you got to remember everything you learned."

Bonnie closed the segment with TR by telling the audience that the play Parade is running in Los Angeles.  The play opened October 4th is expected to run until Nov. 15 at L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum.

TR's Lovelife Was Not Discussed

What Bonnie didn't talk about was TR's recent breakup with his boyfriend of close to two years, Mark Cornelsen.   As reported by In Touch Magazine the breakup was "amicable."  The media buzz is that TR and Mark broke up because "it was just a normal breakup. It just ran its course."

Ironically Mark and Knight attended the opening of Parade together.   Some of the media wondered if the age difference was an issue?  Mark Cornelsen is 16 years younger than the 36 year old TR.

The good news is that TR's work in Parade has won so many great reviews that the play may now be moving to Broadway although TR was originally slated to star on Broadway in 2010 in a revival of Lend Me a Tenor.

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