Though known to television audiences as the sweet and endearing Dr. George O’Malley on the hit drama “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 2005- ), T.R. Knight was anything but shy and soft-spoken actor off screen. With a background primarily in theater, Knight honed his craft on the Minneapolis stage and went on to appear on Broadway in productions of “Noises Off” and “Tartuffe.” Landing a starring role on “Grey’s” the relative newcomer’s innate talent and acting ability shone through as the series went on to become a favorite with television viewers. Knight received some unexpected press during the show’s highly-rated third season, when he was inadvertently outed by a fellow cast member in the heat of an argument, resulting in the actor releasing a formal statement confirming he was a gay man. Much to the relief of all who loved Knight and the show itself, the announcement seemed not to have a detrimental effect on his popularity – and would perhaps help open the door for more actors to feel comfortable coming out in the future. Born Theodore Raymond Knight on March 26, 1973 in Minneapolis, MN, the youngster developed a passion for acting as a child growing up in one half of the Twin Cities. Nicknamed T.R. as a young child, he made his acting debut at the age of five as Tiny Tim in a Guthrie Theater production of “A Christmas Carol.” Foregoing college to pursue acting, Knight appeared in regional theater productions in Minneapolis, joining the Guthrie Theater’s acting company for two years before moving to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. Knight quickly landed a number of roles in off-Broadway productions of “Macbeth,” “This Lime Tree Bower” and “The Hologram Theory.” Though living in the Big Apple, Knight returned to Minneapolis periodically to appear in productions of “Ah, Wilderness” and “Amadeus,” in which he starred in the title role. Back in Manhattan, Knight appeared on Broadway in the 2001 revival of “Noises Off,” opposite stage legend Patti LuPone and Peter Gallagher. Making his film debut in 2002, Knight landed a small role in the fashion industry satire “Garmento.” The following year, he went on to perform in the Broadway revival of “Tartuffe,” and appeared off-Broadway as Brendan Hilliard in “Scattergood,” which earned Knight a 2003 Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Branching out from theater, Knight went on to make his television debut as office intern Ryan Lemming on the short-lived sitcom, “Charlie Lawrence” (CBS, 2003) opposite Nathan Lane pulled after only two episodes, the series introduced Knight to the harsh reality of television programming. Knight quickly landed a number of other guest-starring roles in television, however, appearing in episodes of “Frasier” (NBC, 1993-2004) in 2003, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC, 2001- ) in 2004, and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS, 2000- ), also in 2004. Tired of the audition grind for TV guest spots, he returned to his first love of theater, starring in the off-Broadway production of “Boy” later that year. Though relatively new to television and only three years after his first film role, Knight went on to land a career-breaking role in 2005 when he landed the part of self-deprecating, somewhat awkward surgical intern George O’Malley on the ABC midseason drama, “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005- ), rounding out an ensemble cast including Ellen Pompeo Patrick Dempseyand Sandra Oh Positioned as the dazed Everyman amid the frenetic brilliance of his peers, Knight nervously bumbled his way through some patients and shined with others, eventually securing the trust of his fellow interns and the respect of his superiors. His character most notably caught syphilis in the first few episodes. Performing well in its Sunday night time-slot, “Grey’s” went on to receive critical praise and a number of Emmy nominations in 2006. Not long into the series’ third season, during which was moved to Thursday evenings to go head-to-head with television’s number one show, “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS, 2000), Knight made news for more than just his affable role when he came out publicly, announcing that he was gay in a statement to People magazine in October of 2006. News reports had surfaced that an on-set altercation between series stars Dempsey and Isaiah Washingtonwas allegedly the result of Washington using an anti-gay slur directed at Knight. Knowing it was only so long before the press learned just who the anti-gay slur was directed toward, a seemingly unfazed Knight confronted the topic publicly and continued with the series.