Can you guess who it is? This legendary figure is now 98.

The car was KITT — the Knight Industries Two Thousand.

William Daniels provided KITT’s distinctive voice.

His controlled delivery gave the artificial intelligence a combination of intelligence, confidence, humor and occasional exasperation. The performance helped transform what could have been merely a futuristic vehicle into one of the show’s central characters.

That distinction matters.

KITT did not need a human face to develop a recognizable personality. Daniels accomplished much of that through timing and vocal performance alone.

For viewers who watched Knight Rider during its original 1982–1986 run, the voice became inseparable from the car.

But another generation was about to discover Daniels in an entirely different way.

This time, he would be standing in front of a classroom.

The Teacher Who Became More Than a Teacher

When Boy Meets World premiered in 1993, William Daniels took on the role of George Feeny.

Initially, Mr. Feeny could appear to be the classic strict teacher: intelligent, formal and unwilling to lower his expectations simply because his students were young.

As the series progressed, however, the character became much more.

Feeny served as an educator, neighbor and mentor to Cory Matthews and the other young characters. He frequently encouraged them to think seriously about responsibility, relationships, education and adulthood.

The role resonated strongly enough that decades later Daniels remains closely associated with the character.

Mr. Feeny’s influence was fictional, of course, but the affection audiences developed for him was real.

Daniels had already given television one memorable voice. With Feeny, he gave another generation a memorable face.

His career, however, contains another major television achievement that should not be overlooked.

An Emmy-Winning Chapter

Before Boy Meets World, Daniels was acclaimed for portraying the brilliant but difficult Dr. Mark Craig on the medical drama St. Elsewhere.