LeoGlossary: Dana Elcar (Actor)


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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)

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