Michael Knight (Knight Rider)

Michael Knight
Michael Knight and KITT as shown on the DVD cover of Season 4
First appearance	Knight of the Phoenix (Knight Rider episode)
Last appearance	Knight Rider (2008 film)
Portrayed by	David Hasselhoff Larry Anderson (Michael Long, pilot only)
Information
Aliases	Michael Arthur Long Michael Long
Gender	Male
Occupation	Intelligence officer (1970s) Police officer (1970s–1982) Field agent for FLAG (1982–1990)
Family	Garthe Knight (evil "twin-brother") Jennifer Knight ("sister") Wilton Knight (deceased "father") Elizabeth Knight (estranged "mother")
Spouse(s)	Stephanie March Mason (girlfriend/wife, deceased) Jennifer Traceur (girlfriend, deceased)
Children	Mike Traceur (son)

Michael Knight is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1980s television series Knight Rider, played by David Hasselhoff. The character first appeared in the opening scenes as Michael Long, played by Larry Anderson in the beginning of the pilot.

Born Michael Arthur Long on January 9, 1949 outside of Los Angeles, California, raised by a blue-collar working family.

In the late 1960s, while in his 20s, Long joined the Army, was part of the Green Berets, and spent three years in counter-intelligence work in Vietnam. Captured once when snooping around, he fought his way out of a POW camp, incurring an injury which required brain surgery, and a metal plate that was inserted into his skull.

After those years in Vietnam as an intelligence officer, Michael was discharged from the service, and arrived back in Los Angeles in the 1970s, presumably 1972. Later he joined the Los Angeles Police Department, starting as a patrolman, where he met his partner Muntzy.

Also, once Michael's partner was Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Jim Courtney, whom Michael called his "second father during his LAPD rookie days," whose daughter Stacy got injured during an illegal street race during Season 3 episode "Knights of the Fast Lane."

Michael was subsequently promoted to detective sergeant, and finally to detective lieutenant with the LAPD's 11th precinct, in which his badge number was 4262. He used to reside at 1834 Shoreborne Avenue, Wilmington, California, in the zip code 90744. This was, presumably, in 1982.

After 10 years on the force, during the night of August 8, 1982 – while on special assignment from the LAPD as an undercover Security Guard for Consolidated Chemical Corporation in Las Vegas, Nevada for six months – his long-time partner, Muntzy (Herbert Jefferson, Jr.), working undercover as a maintenance man, was killed by Security Guard Gray (Lance LeGault).