MacGyver (1985-1992) as Pete Thornton / King Arthur / Andy Colson / Santa
The Sting (1973) as F.B.I. Agent Polk
Guiding Light (1952) as District Attorney Andrew Murray (1962)
2010 (1984) as Dimitri Moisevitch
Short Info
Died
June 6, 2005, Ventura, California, United States
Spouse
Peggy Romano, Katherine Frances Mead
Mark
Played leaders of secret/government agencies on several occasions.
Fact
At the time of his death in 2005, he was survived by his companion, Thelma M. Garcia, one son, Dane, and three daughters, Nora, Chandra and Marin.
Dana Elcar (1927-2005) was an American actor best known for his role as Peter Brock on the television series “MacGyver.”
Born in Ferndale, Michigan, Elcar was the son of Danish immigrants. He began his career as a stage actor, appearing in productions of “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman.” He made his film debut in “The Young Lions” (1958) and went on to appear in such films as “The Sting” (1973), “The Hindenburg” (1975), “The Watcher” (2000) and “Hidalgo” (2004).
Elcar began appearing on television in the 1950s, with guest roles on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.” He had a recurring role on the soap opera “Dark Shadows” (1966-67) and appeared on Broadway in the play “The Great White Hope” (1969).
In 1985, Elcar was cast as Peter Brock on the ABC series “MacGyver.” He appeared in all seven seasons of the show, until his character was killed off in 1992.
After “MacGyver,” Elcar appeared in guest roles on such television shows as “ER,” “Touched by an Angel” and “The X-Files.” His final film role was in the 2004 film “Hidalgo.”
Elcar died of complications from pneumonia on June 6, 2005, at the age of 77.
General Info
Full Name
Dana Elcar
Died
June 6, 2005, Ventura, California, United States
Profession
Actor, Television Director
Education
University of Michigan
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Peggy Romano, Katherine Frances Mead
Children
Dane Elcar, Marin Elcar, Chandra Elcar, Nora Elcar Verdon
Parents
James Aage Elcar, Hedwig Anderberg
Siblings
Marie E. Hewitt, Janet K. Melville
Accomplishments
Movies
The Sting, Soldier Blue, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, 2010, The Nude Bomb, All of Me, The Learning Tree, Buddy Buddy, Condorman, Fail Safe, The Champ, The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, Murder in Three Acts, Baby Blue Marine, Jungle Warriors, Crisis in Mid-Air, The Maltese Bippy, A Lovely Way to...
TV Shows
MacGyver, Baretta, Baa Baa Black Sheep, A Time To Live
Played leaders of secret/government agencies on several occasions.
Quotes
#
Quote
1
"The fact that you are losing your eyesight does not mean you have forgotten how to act." - in a speech to the National Federation of the Blind in 1991.
Facts
#
Fact
1
He was awarded the 1986 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Direction for "Rat in the Skull," at the Mark Taper Too Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
2
He made guest appearances on both of the longest running prime time dramas in US television history: Gunsmoke (1955) and Law & Order (1990).
3
Befriended Richard Dean Anderson on the set of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" in 1982. Anderson remembered Elcar when production on "MacGyver" started, and recommended Elcar for the part of Pete Thornton, MacGyver's friend and director of operations at The Phoenix Foundation. Elcar appeared in almost every episode of the show, only backing out when becoming ill in his later years.
4
Dana drove taxicab in New York City in the early 1960s prior to making the move to Los Angeles and Hollywood.
5
The second season of MacGyver (1985), on which he played the role of Peter Thornton, was released on DVD in the United States on June 7, 2005, only one day after his death.
Founded L.A. Actors' Theater in mid-1970s. Founded Santa Paula Theater Center in 1987.
9
Attended University of Michigan. Founded Ann Arbor Theater, while in college.
Joined the U.S. Navy in 1948: Was stationed in Newfoundland, Canada.
10
Parents were Danish immigrants. Father was a butcher; mother was a nanny.
11
Father of son, Dane Elcar, daughters, Nora Elcar Verdon, Chandra Elcar, and Marin Elcar, and stepdaughter, Emily Prager. Brother of Marie E. Hewitt and half-sister Janet K. Melville.
12
Married and divorced three times. Was long-time companion of Thelma M. Garcia, at the time of his death.
13
At the time of his death in 2005, he was survived by his companion, Thelma M. Garcia, one son, Dane, and three daughters, Nora, Chandra and Marin.
14
Bald and beefy American character actor from the off-Broadway stage, a noticeably gruff presence in scores of 1970s TV crime shows and action adventure.
Most recently played a blind character in a guest spot on ER (1994).
17
When he started going blind, his character Peter Thornton on MacGyver (1985) was also written with the same affliction. His blindness was also written into his guest appearance on Law & Order (1990), resulting from Diabetic Retinopathy.
18
Went blind due to Glaucoma c. 1991 and required special computer equipment to read printed text for the rest of his life.
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Black Sheep Squadron
1976-1978
TV Series
Col. Thomas A. Lard
Waiting for Godot
1977
TV Movie
Vladimir
Police Story
1977
TV Series
Lieutenant Garippo
The Six Million Dollar Man
1976
TV Series
Larry Stover
St. Ives
1976
Lt. Charles Blunt
Gemini Man
1976
TV Mini-Series
Dr. Harold Schuyler
Baby Blue Marine
1976
Sheriff Wenzel
Law of the Land
1976
TV Movie
Rev. Mr. Endicott
W.C. Fields and Me
1976
Agent Dockstedter
Cannon
1972-1975
TV Series
John Brinegar / Walter Ryan / Lieutenant
The Rockford Files
1975
TV Series
Sheriff Mitchell
Baretta
1975
TV Series
Lt. Shiller
Love Nest
1975
TV Movie
Mort
Report to the Commissioner
1975
Chief Perna
The Missiles of October
1974
TV Movie
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
Panic on the 5:22
1974
TV Movie
Hal Rodgers
The Manhunter
1974
TV Series
Petrocelli
1974
TV Series
Prosecutor Daley
Sons and Daughters
1974
TV Series
Paul Reed
Chase
1974
TV Series
Phelps
Heatwave!
1974
TV Movie
Prescott
The Sting
1973
F.B.I. Agent Polk
The F.B.I.
1968-1973
TV Series
Waverly / Ewing Carter / Ed Garth / ...
The Waltons
1973
TV Series
George Porter
Columbo
1973
TV Series
Falcon
Kung Fu
1973
TV Series
Noah Jones / Judge Todd A. Pritikin
The New Perry Mason
1973
TV Series
Dory Strong
Dying Room Only
1973
TV Movie
Sheriff
Catch-22
1973
TV Movie
Col. Cathcart
Hawkins
1973
TV Series
Dr. Aaronson
The Partridge Family
1973
TV Series
Mr. Felcher
Hernandez
1973
TV Movie
Jackman
Mannix
1968-1973
TV Series
Fred Reston / Skip Seldon / Tom Coleman / ...
Alias Smith and Jones
1971-1973
TV Series
Sam Haney / Benjamin T. Bowers
The Delphi Bureau
1972
TV Series
Michael Kendall
Bonanza
1969-1972
TV Series
Mr. Merrick / Caleb Milton
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1971-1972
TV Series
Dr. Tomlinson / Dr. Jim McCready
Ironside
1969-1972
TV Series
George / Joe Markham / Bill O'Brien / ...
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
1972
Allen
The Sixth Sense
1972
TV Series
Edward Winslow
Fireball Forward
1972
TV Movie
Col. Talbot
The Bravos
1972
TV Movie
Captain Detroville
Sarge
1971
TV Series
Father Frank Dinsmore
Longstreet
1971
TV Series
Dr. Burlen
The Death of Me Yet
1971
TV Movie
Hank Keller
Love, American Style
1971
TV Series
A. J. Potts (segment "Love and the Naked Stranger")
The Bold Ones: The Lawyers
1969-1971
TV Series
Gale / District Attorney Shannon / Huston
A Gunfight
1971
Marv Green
Mrs. Pollifax-Spy
1971
Carstairs
The Bold Ones: The Senator
1971
TV Series
Collie Ford
Medical Center
1969-1970
TV Series
General Montague / George Mazur
Gunsmoke
1970
TV Series
Pennigrath
Men at Law
1970
TV Series
H.L. Sloane
Room 222
1970
TV Series
Everett Stiles
Mission: Impossible
1970
TV Series
C.W. Cameron
San Francisco International Airport
1970
TV Series
George Woodruff
Adam at Six A.M.
1970
Van Treadly
Soldier Blue
1970
Capt. Battles
Zig Zag
1970
Harold Tracey
Hawaii Five-O
1970
TV Series
Dr. Benjamin
D.A.: Murder One
1969
TV Movie
Dr. Carl Enright
Get Smart
1969
TV Series
Kruger
The Virginian
1969
TV Series
Bennett Poole
The Learning Tree
1969
Kirky
The Maltese Bippy
1969
Sgt. Kelvaney
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
1969
TV Series
George Stack
Pendulum
1969
Det. J.J. 'Red' Thornton
The Sound of Anger
1968
TV Movie
Andrew Pearce
The Outsider
1968
TV Series
Fred Oliver
Judd for the Defense
1968
TV Series
Champion
The Boston Strangler
1968
Luis Schubert
The Name of the Game
1968
TV Series
Hood
A Lovely Way to Die
1968
Layton
The Invaders
1968
TV Series
Sheriff Tom Halloway
Of Mice and Men
1968
TV Movie
Run for Your Life
1968
TV Series
Dr. George Graham
Saint Joan
1967
TV Movie
La Hire
Dark Shadows
1966-1967
TV Series
Sheriff George Patterson
Sheriff George Patterson #1
N.Y.P.D.
1967
TV Series
Phelan
The Crucible
1967
TV Movie
Marshall Herrick
The Borgia Stick
1967
TV Movie
Craigmeyer
A Christmas Masque
1966
TV Movie
The Giant
ABC Stage 67
1966
TV Series
Lou Coolidge
Hawk
1966
TV Series
Stanley Yullen
The Trials of O'Brien
1965
TV Series
Sam Styles
The Defenders
1962-1965
TV Series
District Attorney / Dr. Marvin Graham / Rankin / ...
The Doctors and the Nurses
1962-1965
TV Series
Dr. Fuller
Dr. Fellowes
Dr. Zack Fuller
...
The Fool Killer
1965
Mr. Dodd
The Edge of Night
1964
TV Series
Clinton Wheeler
The Patty Duke Show
1964
TV Series
Anderson
Fail-Safe
1964
Foster
Look Up and Live
1964
TV Series
Gutman
East Side/West Side
1964
TV Series
Father Mello
Espionage
1963
TV Series
Kevin
The Patriots
1963
TV Movie
Jacob
Armstrong Circle Theatre
1961-1963
TV Series
Carl Rogers
Car 54, Where Are You?
1962-1963
TV Series
FBI Agent Potter / Gunderson - Construction Boss / Van Police Officer