Photo: Frank Driggs Collection / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on July 5, 1936 in Goessel, Kansas, United States, Shirley Knight was a television actor, film actor and stage actor. Shirley Knight died on April 22, 2020, aged 83. Education on record includes Wichita State University. Awards on record include Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1988, 1995) and Volpi Cup for Best Actress.
My Take
Shirley Knight is the sort of actress whose résumé quietly humbles you. Two Oscar nominations, three Emmys, a Volpi Cup, a Tony and a Golden Globe, earned across theatre, film and television from the 1960s into the 2010s. What impresses me is not the trophy count but the endurance: staying genuinely wanted for half a century, from a small Kansas town and Wichita State University to the world's biggest stages. She never traded on flash, only on the work, and that is precisely why her performances outlast trends. When she passed in 2020, she left the kind of legacy I think real acting should aspire to.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shirley Knight
- Name (Japanese)
- シャーリー・ナイト
- Reading
- しゃーりー・ないと
- Born
- July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Rat
- Origin
- Goessel, Kansas, United States
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / stage actor / actor
2. Background
- University
- Wichita State University
Awards & achievements
- 1988 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- 1995 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Shirley Knight born?
Born July 5, 1936.
When did Shirley Knight die?
Died April 22, 2020, aged 83.
Where was Shirley Knight from?
Shirley Knight was from Goessel, Kansas, United States.
What did Shirley Knight do?
Shirley Knight worked as television actor, film actor, stage actor, actor.
Television actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from the United States →