Why Rick From Magnum P.I. Looks So Familiar

Zachary Knighton played Rick on CBS' "Magnum P.I." reboot, and he's appeared in a good number of projects since making his acting debut in 2000. Already in his 20s at the time, Knighton originally began his show business career playing teenagers. Like any working performer in the 2000s, he filmed guest star roles on "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," as well as small appearances in "The Prince & Me" and "The Mudge Boy."

His first big role in either movies or television, however, was in the 2007 remake of "The Hitcher," He played the part of Jim Halsey for this version of the 1986 horror film. According to an interview with Cinema.com, Knighton was cast after he was almost picked for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," made by the same producers. The actor commented, "So when this came around, I was like, 'This is mine. I'm going to get it.'"

"The Hitcher" doubled its budget at the box office (via Box Office Mojo), but received negative reviews often comparing it to the original classic. Knighton continued to work on cable shows like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Bones" in the meantime. In 2009, he starred on the much-hyped ABC sci-fi series "Flashforward" as Dr. Bryce Varley, but it disappeared after only 22 episodes.

Knighton's next show wouldn't last as long as anyone hoped, but it's become a cult classic in the years since.