Born: October 10, 1927 – Died: June 6, 2005
Dana Elcar, an accomplished actor and director, graced the world with his presence on October 10, 1927, in Ferndale, Michigan, USA. His life, marked by significant contributions to the entertainment industry, began in a modest setting. Information about his parents or siblings is not widely known, but his journey from Michigan to Hollywood is a tale of talent, perseverance, and adaptability.
Early Life and Career
Elcar's early life details, including his educational background, are not extensively documented. However, his entry into the entertainment industry marked the beginning of an illustrious career]. Dana Elcar's career spanned several decades, with numerous roles in television and film.
His first major success came with his role in "The Sting" (1973), a critical and commercial hit that showcased his versatile acting skills. But it was the TV series "MacGyver" (1985–1992), where he played Pete Thornton, that catapulted him into stardom. This role not only made him a household name but also demonstrated his ability to bring depth and authenticity to his characters.
Elcar's career was not defined by major awards but rather by his consistent performances and the respect he earned within the industry. His personal life included marriages to Marianne Torrance, Mary Margaret "Peggy" Romano, and Kathryn Frances Mead, and he was a father as well. Apart from acting, Elcar was known for his resilience in the face of adversity, particularly his battle with blindness due to diabetic retinopathy, which he incorporated into his role on "MacGyver."
Elcar's impact on Hollywood and the entertainment industry was profound. He was known for playing leadership roles in secret or government agencies, bringing a sense of authority and reliability to his performances. Despite not being widely recognized as a mainstream icon, his work ethic, versatility, and ability to adapt to challenging personal circumstances, like his blindness, made him a respected figure in the acting community. Dana Elcar's legacy in Hollywood is a testament to his talent and the indelible mark he left on the industry.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ER (TV Series) | Manny Kendovich |
| 1995 | The Magic School Bus (TV Series) | Mr. Terese (voice) |
| 1993 | Law & Order (TV Series) | Robert Cook |
| 1993 | For Their Own Good (TV Movie) | Sally's father (uncredited) |
| 1985–1992 | MacGyver (TV Series) | Pete Thornton | King Arthur | Santa Claus ... |
| 1987 | Matlock (TV Series) | Arthur Hughes |
| 1986 | Inside Out | Leo Gross |
| 1986 | Murder in Three Acts (TV Movie) | Dr. Strange |
| 1983–1985 | Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series) | Jared Vennemar | Howard Bowman |
| 1985 | There Were Times, Dear (TV Movie) | Don Mason |
| 1985 | Toughlove (TV Movie) | Max Wiley |
| 1984–1985 | The A-Team (TV Series) | Judge Leonard Mordente | George Olsen |
| 1985 | Riptide (TV Series) | Harry Silverman |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues (TV Series) | Lt. Mel Taber |
| 1985 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV Series) | Mitch Larner |
| 1984 | *2010: The Year We Make Contact* | Dimitri Moisevitch |
| 1984 | Sweet Revenge (TV Movie) | Sen. Arthur Hagerty |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy (TV Series) | Dean Hackett |
| 1984 | *All of Me* | Burton Schuyler |
| 1984 | The Paper Chase (TV Series) | Mr. Sam Hart |
| 1984 | Jungle Warriors | D'Antoni |
| 1984 | Matt Houston (TV Series) | Mayor Akers |
| 1984 | Hardcastle and McCormick (TV Series) | Frank Cardigan |
| 1983 | Quarterback Princess (TV Movie) | Mr. Caine |
| 1983 | Insight (TV Series) | Dr. Dimitri |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart (TV Series) | Admiral Springfield |
| 1983 | Knight Rider (TV Series) | Strock |
| 1983 | Small & Frye (TV Series) | Problems |
| 1983 | I Want to Live (TV Movie) | Warden |
| 1983 | Blue Skies Again | Lou |
| 1983 | Voyagers! (TV Series) | Colonel Knox |
| 1983 | Newhart (TV Series) | Sam Ebersol |
| 1983 | Inspector Perez (TV Movie) | Captain R. C. Hodges |
| 1982 | breach of contract | Unknown |
| 1982 | Forbidden Love (TV Movie) | Burt Wagner |
| 1982 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV Series) | Judge Carlson |
| 1982 | Teachers Only (TV Series) | Clayton |
| 1982 | Herbie, the Love Bug (TV Series) | Warden |
| 1981–1982 | Falcon Crest (TV Series) | Carl Reed |
| 1982 | The Day the Bubble Burst (TV Movie) | Mr. Block |
| 1982 | Code Red (TV Series) | Jason Conners |
| 1982 | Help Wanted: Male (TV Movie) | Milhauser |
| 1981 | Buddy Buddy | Capt. Hubris |
| 1981 | Benson (TV Series) | Senator Chapman |
| 1981 | Flamingo Road (TV Series) | Crane |
| 1981 | Wendy Hooper, U.S. Army (TV Movie) | Sergeant |
| 1981 | Condorman | Russ Devlin |
| 1981 | Foul Play (TV Series) | Lieutenant Bidecker |
| 1980 | Mark, I Love You (TV Movie) | Mr. Bassett |
| 1980 | The Last Flight of Noah's Ark | Benchley |
| 1980 | The Nude Bomb | Chief |
| 1980 | Galactica 1980 (TV Series) | John Steadman |
| 1980 | Eight Is Enough (TV Series) | Ben |
| 1980 | Death Penalty (TV Movie) | John Mulligan |
| 1979 | B.J. and the Bear (TV Series) | Sheriff Nathan T. MacCandles |
| 1979 | One Day at a Time (TV Series) | Captain |
| 1979 | Greatest Heroes of the Bible (TV Series) | Ranol |
| 1979 | Samurai (TV Movie) | Frank Boyd |
| 1979 | Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff | Havermeyer |
| 1979 | The Champ | Hoffmaster |
| 1979 | Crisis in Mid-air (TV Movie) | Brad Mullins |
| 1979 | Centennial (TV Mini Series) | Judge Hart |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk (TV Series) | Sheriff Harris |
| 1976–1978 | Black Sheep Squadron (TV Series) | Col. Thomas A. Lard |
| 1978 | What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (TV Series) | Buxton |
| 1978 | Family (TV Series) | John Kreiger |
| 1977 | Waiting for Godot (TV Movie) | Vladimir |
| 1977 | Police Story (TV Series) | Lt. Garippo |
| 1976 | The Six Million Dollar Man (TV Series) | Larry Stover |
| 1976 | St. Ives | Lt. Charles Blunt |
| 1976 | Gemini Man (TV Series) | Dr. Harold Schuyler |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | Sheriff Wenzel |
| 1976 | Law of the Land (TV Movie) | Rev. Mr. Endicott |
| 1976 | W.C. Fields and Me | Agent Dockstedter |
| 1972–1975 | Cannon (TV Series) | John Brinegar | Walter Ryan | Lt. Sam Levaca |
| 1975 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) | Sheriff Mitchell |
| 1975 | Baretta (TV Series) | Lt. Shiller |
| 1975 | Love Nest (TV Movie) | Mort |
| 1975 | Report to the Commissioner | Chief Perna |
| 1974 | The Missiles of October (TV Movie) | Robert McNamara - Secretary of Defense |
| 1974 | Panic on the 5:22 (TV Movie) | Hal Rodgers |
| 1974 | The Manhunter (TV Series) | Sitwell |
| 1974 | Petrocelli (TV Series) | Prosecutor Daley |
| 1974 | Sons and Daughters (TV Series) | Paul Reed |
| 1974 | Chase (TV Series) | Phelps |
| 1974 | Heatwave! (TV Movie) | Prescott |
| 1973 | The Sting | F.B.I. Agent Polk |
| 1968–1973 | The F.B.I. (TV Series) | Waverly | Ewing Carter | Ed Garth ... |
| 1973 | The Waltons (TV Series) | George Porter |
| 1973 | Columbo (TV Series) | Falcon |
| 1973 | Kung Fu (TV Series) | Noah Jones | Judge Todd A. Pritikin |
| 1973 | The New Perry Mason (TV Series) | Dory Strong |
| 1973 | Dying Room Only (TV Movie) | Sheriff |
| 1973 | Lady Ice | Insurance Company Official (uncredited) |
| 1973 | Catch-22 (TV Movie) | Colonel Cathcart |
| 1973 | Hawkins (TV Series) | Dr. Aaronson |
| 1973 | The Partridge Family (TV Series) | Mr. Felcher |
| 1973 | Hernandez (TV Movie) | Jackman |
| 1968–1973 | Mannix (TV Series) | Skip Seldon | Tom Coleman | Al Beckworth ... |
| 1971–1973 | Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) | Sam Haney | Benjamin T. Bowers |
| 1972 | The Delphi Bureau (TV Series) | Michael Kendall |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (TV Series) | Paul Henderson |
| 1971–1972 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) | Dr. Tomlinson | Dr. Jim McCready |
| 1969–1972 | Bonanza (TV Series) | Mr. Merrick | Caleb Milton |
| 1969–1972 | Ironside (TV Series) | George | Joe Markham | Bill O'Brien ... |
| 1972 | The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid | Allen |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense (TV Series) | Edward Winslow |
| 1972 | Fireball Forward (TV Movie) | Col. Talbot |
| 1972 | The Bravos (TV Movie) | Capt. Detroville |
| 1971 | Sarge (TV Series) | Father Frank Dinsmore |
| 1971 | Longstreet (TV Series) | Dr. Burlen |
| 1971 | The Death of Me Yet (TV Movie) | Hank Keller |
| 1971 | Love, American Style (TV Series) | A. J. Potts (segment "Love and the Naked Stranger") |
| 1969–1971 | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (TV Series) | Gale | District Attorney Shannon |
| 1971 | A Gunfight | Marv Green |
| 1971 | Mrs. Pollifax-Spy | Carstairs |
| 1971 | The Bold Ones: The Senator (TV Series) | Collie Ford |
| 1969–1970 | Medical Center (TV Series) | General Montague | George Mazur |
| 1970 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Pennigrath |
| 1970 | Room 222 (TV Series) | Everett Stiles |
| 1970 | Men at Law (TV Series) | H.L. Sloane |
| 1970 | Mission: Impossible (TV Series) | C.W. Cameron |
| 1970 | San Francisco International Airport (TV Series) | George Woodruff |
| 1970 | Adam at Six A.M. | Van Treadly |
| 1970 | Soldier Blue | Capt. Battles |
| 1970 | Zig Zag | Harold Tracey |
| 1970 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) | Dr. Benjamin |
| 1969 | D.A.: Murder One (TV Movie) | Dr. Carl Enright |
| 1969 | Get Smart (TV Series) | Kruger |
| 1969 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Bennett Poole |
| 1969 | The Learning Tree | Kirky |
| 1969 | The Maltese Bippy | Sgt. Kelvaney |
| 1969 | The Whole World Is Watching (TV Movie) | Huston |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The Protectors (TV Series) | George Stack |
| 1969 | Pendulum | Police Det. J.J. 'Red' Thornton |
| 1969 | My Friend Tony (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1968 | The Sound of Anger (TV Movie) | Andrew Pearce |
| 1968 | The Outsider (TV Series) | Fred Oliver |
| 1968 | Judd for the Defense (TV Series) | Champion |
| 1968 | The Boston Strangler | Luis Schubert |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game (TV Series) | Hood |
| 1968 | A Lovely Way to Die | Layton |
| 1968 | The Invaders (TV Series) | Sheriff Tom Halloway |
| 1968 | Run for Your Life (TV Series) | Dr. George Graham |
| 1968 | Of Mice and Men (TV Movie) | Carlson |
| 1968 | Elizabeth the Queen (TV Movie) | Captain Marvel |
| 1967 | Saint Joan (TV Movie) | La Hire |
| 1966–1967 | Dark Shadows (TV Series) | Sheriff Patterson |
| 1967 | N.Y.P.D. (TV Series) | Ed Phelan |
| 1967 | The Crucible (TV Movie) | Marshall Herrick |
| 1967 | The Borgia Stick (TV Movie) | Craigmeyer |
| 1966 | A Christmas Masque (TV Movie) | The Giant |
| 1966 | ABC Stage 67 (TV Series) | Lou Coolidge |
| 1966 | Hawk (TV Series) | Stanley Yullen |
| 1965 | The Trials of O'Brien (TV Series) | Sam Styles |
| 1962–1965 | The Defenders (TV Series) | District Attorney | Dr. Marvin Graham | Rankin ... |
| 1962–1965 | The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series) | Dr. Fellowes | Dr. Zack Fuller | Dr. Zach Fuller ... |
| 1965 | The Fool Killer | Mr. Dodd |
| 1964 | The Edge of Night (TV Series) | Clinton Wheeler (credit only) |
| 1964 | The Patty Duke Show (TV Series) | Anderson |
| 1964 | Fail Safe | Foster |
| 1964 | Look Up and Live (TV Series) | Gutman |
| 1964 | East Side/West Side (TV Series) | Father Mello |
| 1963 | Espionage (TV Series) | Kevin |
| 1963 | The Patriots (TV Movie) | Jacob |
| 1961–1963 | Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) | Carl Rogers |
| 1962–1963 | Car 54, Where Are You? (TV Series) | FBI Agent Potter | Gunderson - Construction Boss | Van Police Officer |
| 1962–1963 | Naked City (TV Series) | Al Borris | Varney |
| 1962 | The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series) | Dennis Wilcox |
| 1961 | 'Way Out (TV Series) | The Flophouse Manager |
| 1961 | Our American Heritage (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1959–1960 | Play of the Week (TV Series) | Friend Ed |
| 1960 | Omnibus (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1960 | Sunday Showcase (TV Series) | Newspaperman |
| 1956–1959 | The Big Story (TV Series) | Sergeant | Lieutenant Alameda | Cashmore ... |
| 1959 | Deadline (TV Series) | Trooper | Schneider |
| 1959 | Art Carney Special (TV Series) | Dr. Gibbs |
| 1959 | Brenner (TV Series) | Bartender (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Steve Canyon (TV Series) | Larry Hanson (uncredited) |
| 1954 | A Time to Live (TV Series) | Dr. Clay |
| 1952 | Guiding Light (TV Series) | District Attorney Andrew Murray (1962) |
General:
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