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David Knell

David Knell

Actor, also producer · Born September 8, 1961 (65) · New York City, New York, USA

Best known for his roles as a goofy, callow youth in films like Spring Break, Splash, Total Recall, and Turner and Hooch, David is a veteran in the industry with a career that spans over four decades.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 8, 1961 (65)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 24% in 30 days

What are David Knell's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
27%
Bonds
21%
Society
17%
Survival
13%
Self
11%
Power
5%
Ideas
5%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
4
Joyful
4
Warm
4
Contemplative
4
Melancholic
4
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Knell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Knell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Sitra Achra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Freddy Nord

  • To Kill a Wolf(2024)

    as The Rancher

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Pig(2021)

    as Finway

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Grimm(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Stan's Father

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Clerk

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as (voice)

  • Jailbirds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Baxter

  • My Blue Heaven(1990)

    as Checker

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Total Recall(1990)

    as Ernie

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Turner & Hooch(1989)

    as Ernie

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Chopper Chicks in Zombietown(1989)

    as Booge

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Murphy Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Pizza Kid

  • ALF(1986)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dudley

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Sunshine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 11 episodes · as Warren Leftwich

  • Shadow Chasers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gidget's Summer Reunion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Albert Winslow

  • Charles in Charge(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Duane

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Acting Police Chief Wylie Ledbetter

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • High School U.S.A.(1984)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Splash(1984)

    as Claude

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • September Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Jason, Ben's Nephew

  • Spring Break(1983)

    as Nelson

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Matthew Brody

  • Making Love(1982)

    as Michael

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Bret Maverick(1981)

    Show 18 episodes · as Rodney Catlow

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Bitter Harvest(1981)

    as Brandon

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Devil and Max Devlin(1981)

    as Nerve Nordlinger

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • A Christmas Without Snow(1980)

    as Terry

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Life on the Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Actor

  • Belle Starr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Ed Reed

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Clemens

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 31 titles from 1971 to 2025; peak year 1982.

Biggest box office

Turner & Hooch (1989)

$71M worldwide

Highest rated

Pig (2021)

Midcredits 80th

Most popular right now

Bret Maverick (1981)

Film career

19712025

Peak 1982 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting31 of 31: 31 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s21 · acting1990s5 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 13% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do David Knell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 14; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

High School U.S.A. (1984)

86th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Total Recall (1990)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is David Knell's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does David Knell work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Knell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dana Millican shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers