If you thought Dr. George O’Malley was the last time T.R. Knight would make you cry, think again. The Emmy-nominated actor is back—this time on Broadway—in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a $50 million theatrical prequel to the Netflix phenomenon. Knight plays Victor Creel, a WWII vet haunted by trauma and grief, whose downward spiral paves the way for the rise of Vecna, the series’ most terrifying villain.
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“I am playing Victor Creel. What drew me to the role was his level of damage,” Knight tells EDGE. “He thinks that there’s some relief and solace in drinking, but it is exacerbating his PTSD.”
Set in 1959, the play gives Knight the chance to dig into emotional depths while surrounded by supernatural spectacle.
But let’s not forget—Knight’s return to Broadway is more than just a career milestone. It’s a victory lap in a life that’s been anything but simple. He was forced out of the closet during his Grey’s Anatomy years after a co-star referred to him with a gay slur. (No, we’re not naming names. This isn’t TMZ—and the spotlight belongs to T.R.) What could have broken him instead became a turning point. Knight stepped into himself fully—publicly, painfully, and powerfully.
He later married writer and ballet dancer Patrick B. Leahy in 2013 in what sounds like a perfectly gay autumn ceremony in Hudson, NY. The couple just marked their tenth anniversary with quiet grace—proof that queer love doesn’t need to be loud to be profound.
Though he’s been away from Broadway for over a decade, Knight has stayed close to the stage, choosing roles that resonate deeply. Stranger Things marks his most high-profile return, and a rare chance to collaborate with director Stephen Daldry (The Hours, The Inheritance). “I didn’t think I would ever get a chance to work with Stephen… and now, having this opportunity is amazing,” Knight says. “His artistry is astounding. He is so inordinately talented and kind.”
Rehearsals for the play were collaborative, intimate, and intense. “To be able to create this with them all is what I love most about the community aspect of theater,” Knight says. “It’s not just the directors or actors. It’s our voice coach, Liz… It is all exciting to me.”
While audiences are wowed by the play’s technical wizardry, Knight is more focused on the emotional weight of the role. “My moldy little brain is filled up with dealing with how to sustain Victor’s psychotic breaks,” he says. “I am in awe of what [Stephen and Justin] have achieved.”
Asked how he’d fare in Hawkins’ Upside Down, Knight doesn’t miss a beat:
“Dig a hole, find some leaf clutter, and pull it over me. I don’t know if anyone would want me on their team to battle any of this.” That level of self-deprecating honesty? Extremely relatable.
What makes this role stand out? Knight isn’t rushing to define it. “We’ve just opened… I’m still very much figuring him out, and I like that,” he says.
“He’s a tough nut to crack, and I greatly enjoy the challenge.”
He also takes the responsibility seriously. “There are a lot of people who deal with both the problem of alcohol and the issues of how to survive. So, for me, the weight of that is essential to respect and acknowledge.”
As for why live performance still matters:
“With theatre… you’re together in a dark room, telling a story to those in the audience,” he says. “My energy affects them. Their energy affects me… and that is so incredibly exciting.”
Knight closes the conversation with a message to the queer community:
“I have lived through a lot, and I’m still figuring it out. I wish I weren’t. I admire their bravery and continue to learn from it. I wish for a better world for them… speak up and continue to fight. And always live your authentic self.”
Whether he’s playing a grieving father or just showing up, fully himself, onstage—T.R. Knight proves that some of the most powerful shadows aren’t monsters at all. They’re the hard truths we survive—and the stories we finally get to tell.