Since its premiere in 1982, “Knight Rider” has transcended its cult status to become a television icon. Despite several attempts to resurrect the series, including iterations like “Team Knight Rider,” “Knight Rider 2000,” and the often-overlooked “Knight Rider 2010,” none have fully recaptured the original’s magic. Each revival featured a high-tech supercar, though the specifics varied. Not all versions of KITT had a personality or voice, but when they did, talented actors were needed to bring the car to life. Over the years, several notable names have contributed their voices to one of television’s most famous fictional vehicles.

You might be surprised to learn that Jim Ward, a prominent voice actor, once voiced KITT. His involvement wasn’t in any of the “Knight Rider” reboots or alternate versions. Instead, Ward lent his voice to KITT for a special guest appearance in a 1984 episode of the sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes.” Though this might seem like an unusual credit, it highlights Ward’s extensive and varied career in voice acting, which includes contributions to some of the most enduring animated series on television.

For aficionados of ’80s cinema, Val Kilmer is a familiar name. Known for playing Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 1986 classic “Top Gun,” Kilmer was a formidable counterpart to Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Kilmer’s illustrious career includes portraying Batman in “Batman Forever” and starring alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann’s “Heat.”

In the late 2000s, Kilmer lent his voice to KITT for the 2008 “Knight Rider” revival series. However, he is perhaps most celebrated for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film “The Doors.” Kilmer also played the charismatic Madmartigan in the fantasy adventure “Willow.” Although he did not return for the “Willow” sequel on Disney+, he reprised his role as Iceman in the 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

If you’re a fan of ’80s movies, Val Kilmer needs no introduction. Kilmer is the man who played rival pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in 1986’s “Top Gun,” giving Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell a run for his money. But that’s hardly his only claim to fame, as the legendary Kilmer was also the man who played the cinematic Batman after Michael Keaton departed the role, filling the bat-boots in 1995 for Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever,” not long before he starred opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann’s classic crime thriller, “Heat.”

It was in the late 2000s that Kilmer voiced KITT, giving life to the iconic car for the short-lived 2008 revival series. But Kilmer is probably best known for his haunting performance as real-life rock star Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 music biopic “The Doors.” Kilmer also starred in the ’80s fantasy classic “Willow,” playing the renegade swordsman Madmartigan. While he didn’t return for the “Willow” revival on Disney+, he did reprise his role as Iceman in 2022’s long-awaited legacy sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.” 

Sadly, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and passed away from the disease shortly after the release of the “Top Gun” sequel. He was 65.

The most famous voice of KITT is William Daniels, the man who vocalized the original version of the car in the 1980s “Knight Rider” series. His unmistakable tones made him famous among an entire generation, but until a certain other role years later, most kids watching had no idea what he looked like. He became more famous in front of the camera for his role as Principal George Feeny in the 1990s teen sitcom “Boy Meets World.”

Daniels wasn’t, however, unknown to adult audiences. During his run on “Knight Rider” — where he could record his lines in a booth — he was also starring in “St. Elsewhere,” one of the most beloved TV shows of the 1980s, and one of the most binge-worthy medical dramas ever made. There, he played Dr. Mark Craig, a brilliant heart surgeon who — in contrast to his friendly demeanor as KITT — was eager to bully and intimidate the younger members of his hospital staff.

Following his run on “Boy Meets World” in the ’90s, Daniels stepped back from major roles, mostly taking guest spots and recurring TV parts, including a voiceover role as another AI computer in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager.” He showed up for a stint on “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2012, and even reprised his role as George Feeney in “Girl Meets World” in 2014. Today, he’s retired from acting at the age of 98. 

Jim Ward isn’t the only man that you didn’t realize once voiced KITT from “Knight Rider.” There’s one other man — who you probably do recognize — who voiced KITT for a single episode, though it’s unlikely you’ve ever seen it. That man is Will Arnett, the “Arrested Development” alum who later built a career as a voice actor. He voiced KITT in a pilot episode of the 2008 “Knight Rider” revival, but was replaced by Val Kilmer when the show was picked up and became a series.

Arnett’s biggest roles are on the small screen, such as magician brother Job in “Arrested Development” and his recurring role as Devin Banks on Tina Fey’s “30 Rock.” But it’s really his voice acting that’s provided the most material for him: He is, of course, the voice of BoJack Horseman on Netflix’s adult animated series of the same name, a role that won him two Emmy Award nominations — to add to the five he’d collected from “Arrested Development” and “30 Rock.”

While big on television, Arnett also loves the big screen, famously playing the Lego version of “Batman” in “The Lego Movie” and “The Lego Batman Movie” among others. He currently voices Sweet Tooth, the psychotic killer clown, in the Amazon sci-fi series “Twisted Metal” (a casting that confused many longtime fans of the video game) and stars in Bradley Cooper’s 2025 directorial effort, “Is This Thing On?”