Dana Elcar - Life and Career

Life and Career

Elcar was born as Ibsen Dana Elcar in Ferndale, Michigan, the son of Hedwig (née Anderberg) and James Aage Elcar, a carpenter and butcher. Elcar was an alumnus of the University of Michigan where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Elcar was also 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.

Elcar had supporting roles in Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff, W.C. Fields and Me, The Sting, 2010, All of Me, The Learning Tree, Herbie the Matchmaker, and Baretta, in which he played Baretta's supervisor, Inspector Shiller. He also had a recurring role in the popular 1970s television series Baa Baa Black Sheep and guest starred on The Waltons in 1973. Another of his recurring roles was as Sheriff Patterson #2 on Dark Shadows. He guest starred as Judge Spencer on B. J. and the Bear in 1979, and in two episodes of The A-Team in 1984 and 1985. In 1987 he also guest starred on Matlock. He was often mistaken for his MacGyver stunt/photography double, Don S. Davis, and vice-versa. He also appeared in the hit series Knight Rider in the 1983 episode "Merchants of Death"; as a corrupt sheriff in The Incredible Hulk episode "Escape from Los Santos" in 1978 where Banner is on his way to Phoenix; and as KAOS Agent Kruger in the 2-part 1969 Get Smart episode "And Baby Makes Four".

In 1991, Elcar began to develop glaucoma. This condition was written into the show, MacGyver, beginning with the sixth season episode "Blind Faith" and continuing through the remainder of that season and the entire seventh season, with Elcar's character developing the disease. The sixth season finale, Hind-Sight, was a clip show using Pete Thornton's upcoming eye surgery as a framing device. After MacGyver, Elcar made a guest appearance in "Virus", a 1993 episode of Law & Order, in which he played a man who blamed his diabetes-caused blindness on his former physician, and whose son murdered other patients as revenge.

Elcar also played a blind character on episodes of The Magic School Bus and ER. Once blind, Elcar took on the challenge of playing Vladimir in Waiting for Godot complete with white cane. This was his theatrical swan song, and he retired in 1992. Dana Elcar also starred as Col. Lard in Black Sheep Squadron .