Ibsen Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927 â€" June 6, 2005) was an American
television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as
well as on the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter
Thornton, MacGyver’s immediate supervisor at the Phoenix Foundation.
Elcar had appeared in the pilot episode of MacGyver as Andy Colson
before assuming the role of Thornton.Elcar was born in Ferndale,
Michigan, the son of Hedwig (née Anderberg) and James Aage Elcar, a
carpenter and butcher. He was an alumnus of the University of Michigan
where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. At age 18,
Elcar enlisted and served a tour of duty in the United States Navy at
the end of World War II. He moved to New York in the 1950s to become a
professional thespian. He was a student of legendary acting coach
Sanford Meisner. He brought this education to bear when in 1986, with
fellow character actor William Lucking, he formed the Santa Paula
Theater Center. Elcar sat as artistic director for six years.In 1962,
he created the role of the hit-man Ben in the U.S. premiere of Harold
Pinter's The Dumb Waiter at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich
Village, New York City. That same year he was cast on the long running
CBS daytime drama, The Guiding Light as Andrew Murray, the District
Attorney of Los Angeles County. Later in 1962 and 1963, due to his
stint on The Guiding Light, he was cast in three episodes of the NBC
sitcom, Car 54, Where Are You?, and two segments of the ABC crime
drama, Naked City, both set in New York City. In 1966 and 1967, Elcar
played Sheriff George Patterson on the vampire soap opera Dark
Shadows. He played Inspector Shiller, the supervisor, in the crime
drama, Baretta, starring Robert Blake.Elcar guest starred on Get
Smart, CBS's Mission: Impossible and Storefront Lawyers in 1970. In
1971, he was a guest star on Ironside. He appeared on The Waltons and
Kung Fu in 1973. He had a regular role as Colonel Lard in the
1976â€"78 television military drama, Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring
Robert Conrad, and also directed four episodes of the series. He
appeared in TV disaster movies such as Heatwave! (1974) and Crisis in
Mid-Air (1979).
television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as
well as on the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter
Thornton, MacGyver’s immediate supervisor at the Phoenix Foundation.
Elcar had appeared in the pilot episode of MacGyver as Andy Colson
before assuming the role of Thornton.Elcar was born in Ferndale,
Michigan, the son of Hedwig (née Anderberg) and James Aage Elcar, a
carpenter and butcher. He was an alumnus of the University of Michigan
where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. At age 18,
Elcar enlisted and served a tour of duty in the United States Navy at
the end of World War II. He moved to New York in the 1950s to become a
professional thespian. He was a student of legendary acting coach
Sanford Meisner. He brought this education to bear when in 1986, with
fellow character actor William Lucking, he formed the Santa Paula
Theater Center. Elcar sat as artistic director for six years.In 1962,
he created the role of the hit-man Ben in the U.S. premiere of Harold
Pinter's The Dumb Waiter at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich
Village, New York City. That same year he was cast on the long running
CBS daytime drama, The Guiding Light as Andrew Murray, the District
Attorney of Los Angeles County. Later in 1962 and 1963, due to his
stint on The Guiding Light, he was cast in three episodes of the NBC
sitcom, Car 54, Where Are You?, and two segments of the ABC crime
drama, Naked City, both set in New York City. In 1966 and 1967, Elcar
played Sheriff George Patterson on the vampire soap opera Dark
Shadows. He played Inspector Shiller, the supervisor, in the crime
drama, Baretta, starring Robert Blake.Elcar guest starred on Get
Smart, CBS's Mission: Impossible and Storefront Lawyers in 1970. In
1971, he was a guest star on Ironside. He appeared on The Waltons and
Kung Fu in 1973. He had a regular role as Colonel Lard in the
1976â€"78 television military drama, Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring
Robert Conrad, and also directed four episodes of the series. He
appeared in TV disaster movies such as Heatwave! (1974) and Crisis in
Mid-Air (1979).
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