Knotty Knott
by Sherif Awad
Michael "Knotty" Knott
has been acting for over sixty years. Given the name Knotty since his school days,
he started his artistic career when he was only twelve years old. Then, under
Rona Knight, first studied performing between 1964 and 1967 at the Corona
Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Knott landed many TV and cinema roles in
addition to his very well-known appearance as a actor for commercials across the
various media.
“Right now, I am sixty-six”, says
Knott. “The industry is getting younger getting younger because I'm not getting
as much work as I used to because I'm getting older. For example, Harry Potter
and Games of Thrones are really targeting younger generation while mostly
starring young actors”.
Knott doesn’t look his age. On
many occasions, he was cast as body double for other British stars when filming
love scenes. “My fiancée of more than thirty years gets very shy about my
appearances and so sometimes she rather walks to the back door and comes in
very quietly when we are about to enter an event”, he says.
At the moment Knott gets mainly TV commercials. “I haven’t
done any film work for quite a while because on the extra-large frame I've
always been the fat chappy type of character. Recently we shot the Berocca campaign
in Brighton. I was featured like I am having a shower in the bush then walking with
a towel wrapped around me until a hippo comes out of the woodwork and charges
at me. One day of shooting, tough work and good payment. However, our agents
charges 33% commission”, he laughs
