---
name: "David Knell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-knell"
roles: []
born: "8 September 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-18T07:57:52.924102+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David Knell

Actor. Born 8 September 1961 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 8 September 1961, New York City, New York, USA
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460671/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/41253

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*Total Recall*](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

David Knell is an American actor. Born on 8 September 1961 in New York City, he began his career on Broadway as a teenager in Liz Swados's *Runaways* and made his screen debut playing the young Mark Twain in the 1980 television film *Life on the Mississippi*.

He is known for supporting roles in 1980s comedies and action films, including Nelson in *Spring Break* (1983), Claude in *Splash* (1984), Ernie in *Turner & Hooch* (1989) and Ernie in *Total Recall* (1990). Later credits include Chef Finway in *Pig* (2021) and guest appearances in series such as *Grimm* and *ALF*. Knell has also worked behind the scenes as an editor, camera operator and assistant director, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity.

*Sources: imdb.com, davidknell.com, oak3.the-numbers.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Total Recall* (1990), Fi1m 84, as Ernie — [page](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md)

## Complete filmography (31)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Sitra Achra* (2025), as Freddy Nord
- *To Kill a Wolf* (2025), as The Rancher
- *Pig* (2021), as Finway
- *Grimm* (2011), series, as Stan's Father
- *Diagnosis: Murder* (1993), series, as Clerk
- *Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol* (1992), as (voice)
- *Jailbirds* (1991), as Baxter
- *My Blue Heaven* (1990), as Checker
- *Total Recall* (1990), as Ernie — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/total-recall.md)
- *Turner & Hooch* (1989), as Ernie
- *Chopper Chicks in Zombietown* (1989), as Booge
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, as Pizza Kid — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *ALF* (1986), series, as Dudley
- *Mr. Sunshine* (1986), series, as Warren Leftwich
- *Shadow Chasers* (1985), series, Acting
- *Gidget's Summer Reunion* (1985), as Albert Winslow
- *Charles in Charge* (1984), series, as Duane
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Acting Police Chief Wylie Ledbetter
- *High School U.S.A.* (1984), Acting
- *Splash* (1984), as Claude
- *September Gun* (1983), as Jason, Ben's Nephew
- *Spring Break* (1983), as Nelson
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Matthew Brody — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Making Love* (1982), as Michael
- *Bret Maverick* (1981), series, as Rodney Catlow
- *Bitter Harvest* (1981), as Brandon
- *The Devil and Max Devlin* (1981), as Nerve Nordlinger
- *A Christmas Without Snow* (1980), as Terry
- *Life on the Mississippi* (1980), Acting
- *Belle Starr* (1980), as Ed Reed
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Sam Clemens

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-knell