Esmond Penington Knight (4 May 1906 – 23 February 1987) was an English actor. He had a successful stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half blind. He had been badly injured in 1941 whilst on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she fought the Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait, and remained totally blind for two years, though he later regained some sight in his right eye.

Biography

Knight was married twice. His first wife was actress Frances Clare, whom he married in 1929. The couple had a daughter, actress Rosalind Knight. During the 1930s he had a long-running affair with Nora Swinburne, of which his wife was aware. She was also an actress who appeared with him in several stage plays. After a short-lived attempt to end the affair, Knight left Frances for Nora. The couple were married in 1946 and remained together for the rest of their lives.

Knight died of a heart attack and was cremated.