When NBC revived the ’80s classic “Knight Rider” in 2008, audiences heard a very familiar voice coming from KITT’s dashboard. Even if you didn’t blink during the credits, though, you would have missed Val Kilmer’s name — because it was never there.
The 2008 series, which kicked things off with a TV movie that served as a backdoor pilot, was a modern-day sequel to the beloved 1982 original. While the first version of KITT had been a modified 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (voiced by William Daniels), the sequel series revived him as a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR. The plot follows Michael Knight’s estranged son, Mike Traceur (Justin Bruening), as he’s recruited to follow in his father’s footsteps and fight crime alongside his superpowered vehicle.
Even though he brought KITT to life across the entire single-season run of “Knight Rider,” Kilmer remained uncredited for his performance. Why? “Knight Rider” fans on Reddit have suggested that it may have been an homage to Daniels, who also chose to be uncredited as KITT during his time working on the original series.
Will Arnett was originally the voice of KITT in 2008’s Knight Rider
Val Kilmer wasn’t actually NBC’s first choice to voice KITT in the 2008 “Knight Rider” series. In fact, “Arrested Development” star Will Arnett was originally cast to voice this iconic ’80s car. Because Ford was heavily financing 2008’s “Knight Rider” and using it as a branding platform, however, a major conflict of interest emerged. Arnett had already been the long-time voice of GMC Trucks commercials. General Motors, one of Ford’s rivals in the automotive industry, caught wind of the project and stepped in at the eleventh hour. Arnett — who had already completed his voice work for the series — had to back out to satisfy the rival companies.
Arnett told Variety at the time: “I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new ‘Knight Rider’ movie. However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project.” With Arnett out just weeks before the TV movie was set to air, showrunners tapped Kilmer to step into the recording booth in the nick of time.
Soon after Kilmer’s death in 2025, “Knight Rider” producer Julie Herlocker posted a tribute to his work on the show. “I was privileged to direct Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT for the 2008 reboot of Knight Rider,” she wrote on Instagram. “He gifted me 18 episodes worth of his incredible talent, his curiosity about how TV differed from features, and his fascinating stories. What a remarkable man.”
