---
name: "Dana Elcar"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/dana-elcar"
roles: ["Actor","Director"]
born: "10 October 1927"
died: "6 June 2005"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 84
updated: "2026-09-16T16:42:45.638171+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dana Elcar

Actor and director. Born 10 October 1927 in Ferndale, Michigan United States. Died 6 June 2005.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director
- **Born:** 10 October 1927, Ferndale, Michigan United States
- **Died:** 6 June 2005
- **Active:** 1973–1974
- **Also known as:** Ibsen Dana Elcar

## Biography

Dana Elcar, also credited as Ibsen Dana Elcar, was an American character actor who worked in film and television from the 1950s until the early 2000s. He appeared in approximately 40 films and numerous television series.

Elcar is best known for playing Peter Thornton, administrator at the Phoenix Foundation, in the series *MacGyver* (1985–1992). He had earlier appeared in the pilot as a different character, Andy Colson. His film credits include the role of F.B.I. Agent Polk in *The Sting* (1973) and Dimitri Moisevitch in *2010* (1984). He also had recurring or guest roles in series such as *Baa Baa Black Sheep*, *The A-Team*, *Columbo* and *ER*, and directed several episodes of *Baa Baa Black Sheep*.

Born in Ferndale, Michigan, Elcar attended the University of Michigan. He developed glaucoma in the early 1990s; the condition was incorporated into his *MacGyver* character from the sixth season onwards.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *The Rockford Files* (1974), Fi1m 83, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85, as F.B.I. Agent Polk — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)

## Also known for

- *Knight Rider* (1982), Strock
- *The A-Team* (1983), George Olsen, Judge Leonard Mordente
- *2010* (1984), Dimitri Moisevitch
- *ER* (1994), Manny Kendovich
- *MacGyver* (1985), Pete Thornton, Andy Colson, Director
- *Columbo* (1971), Falcon — [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *The Incredible Hulk* (1977), Sheriff Harris
- *Bonanza* (1959), Caleb Milton, Mr. Merrick

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/dana-elcar