Dana Elcar - Actor Profile

Dana Elcar

Acting
Freshness: Jan 19, 2026
50Total Films
9.0 Highest Rated
Born: Oct 10, 1927
Birth Place: Ferndale, Michigan United States

About Dana Elcar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Dana Elcar (born October 10, 1927) was an American television and movie character actor. Although he appeared in about 40 films, his most memorable role was on the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter Thornton, an administrator working for the Phoenix Foundation. Elcar had appeared in the pilot episode of MacGyver as Andy Colson (a completely different character), but was later cast as Peter Thornton, making his first regular appearance in the 11th episode of the first season. Description above from the Wikipedia article Dana Elcar, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Career Statistics & Market Influence

Analyzing the cinematic journey of Dana Elcar reveals a career defined by diverse artistic exploration. With a total of 50 major appearances, the actor has established a significant footprint in global cinema.

Genre Dominance: Drama

The majority of Dana Elcar's filmography leans towards the Drama genre. Audience data suggests that viewers respond most favorably to this persona, though their versatility has allowed for successful crossovers into other categories.

The "Box Office" Signature

With a 36% Success Ratio (movies rated above 6.5), Dana Elcar remains a reliable draw for studios. Their peak performance was recorded in Of Mice and Men, which continues to be the benchmark for their career rating-wise.

Best Dana Elcar Movies Ranked

Must-watch hits from Dana Elcar's career based on audience ratings.

★9.0
Of Mice and Men (1968) movie poster
★9.0

Of Mice and Men — Two ranch workers, one of them simple-minded, look for work and happiness during the Great Depression, but luck is not i

Of Mice and Men

1968•Drama
★8.0
The Sting (1973) movie poster
★8.0

The Sting — A novice con man teams up with an acknowledged master to avenge the murder of a mutual friend by pulling off the ultimat

The Sting

1973•Comedy
★7.8
The Borgia Stick (1967) movie poster
★7.8

The Borgia Stick — A suburban couple discovers that they are pawns for a powerful crime syndicate. They try to break away from the cartel a

The Borgia Stick

1967•Crime
★7.8
W.C. Fields and Me (1976) movie poster
★7.8

W.C. Fields and Me — In 1920s New York City, W. C. Fields is a successful headlining entertainer, but when his girlfriend leaves him and his

W.C. Fields and Me

1976•Drama
★7.8
Fail Safe (1964) movie poster
★7.8

Fail Safe — Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the

Fail Safe

1964•Thriller

Complete Filmography & Success Status

Tracking the career evolution and box office verdicts of Dana Elcar.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
1987 Inside Out Leo Gross Flop Similar →
1986 Murder in Three Acts Dr. Strange Average Similar →
1985 Toughlove Max Wiley Flop Similar →
1984 2010 Dimitri Moisevitch Hit Similar →
1984 Sweet Revenge Sen. Arthur Hagerty Average Similar →
1984 All of Me Burton Schuyler Hit Similar →
1984 Jungle Warriors D'Antoni Flop Similar →
1983 Quarterback Princess Mr. Caine Hit Similar →
1983 I Want to Live Warden Flop Similar →
1983 Blue Skies Again Lou Flop Similar →
1982 Forbidden Love Burt Wagner Flop Similar →
1982 Help Wanted: Male Milhauser Flop Similar →
1981 Condorman Russ Devlin Average Similar →
1981 Buddy Buddy Capt. Hubris Average Similar →
1980 The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Benchley Average Similar →
1980 The Nude Bomb Chief Flop Similar →
1979 The Champ Hoffmaster Hit Similar →
1979 Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff Havermeyer Flop Similar →
1979 Crisis in Mid-Air Brad Mullins Average Similar →
1976 The Flying Misfits Col. Thomas A. Lard Hit Similar →
1976 Baby Blue Marine Sheriff Wenzel Flop Similar →
1976 Law of the Land Rev. Mr. Endicott Flop Similar →
1976 W.C. Fields and Me Dockstedter Super Hit Similar →
1976 St. Ives Lt. Charles Blunt Average Similar →
1975 Report to the Commissioner Chief Perna Hit Similar →
1974 Panic on the 5:22 Hal Rodgers Flop Similar →
1974 Heatwave! Prescott Average Similar →
1973 The Sting F.B.I. Agent Polk Super Hit Similar →
1973 Dying Room Only Sheriff Hit Similar →
1973 Catch-22 Colonel Cathcart Flop Similar →
1972 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Allen Average Similar →
1972 Fireball Forward Col. Talbot Flop Similar →
1972 The Bravos Captain Detroville Average Similar →
1971 The Death of Me Yet Hank Keller Hit Similar →
1971 A Gunfight Marv Green Average Similar →
1971 Mrs. Pollifax — Spy Carstairs Average Similar →
1970 San Francisco International George Woodruff Flop Similar →
1970 Adam at Six A.M. Van Treadly Flop Similar →
1970 Soldier Blue Capt. Battles Hit Similar →
1970 Zig Zag Harold Tracey Super Hit Similar →
1969 The Learning Tree Kirky Hit Similar →
1969 The Maltese Bippy Sgt. Kelvaney Flop Similar →
1969 Pendulum Det. J.J. 'Red' Thornton Average Similar →
1968 The Boston Strangler Luis Schubert Hit Similar →
1968 A Lovely Way to Die Layton Flop Similar →
1968 Of Mice and Men - Super Hit Similar →
1967 The Crucible Marshall Herrick Flop Similar →
1967 The Borgia Stick Craigmeyer Super Hit Similar →
1965 The Fool Killer Mr. Dodd Hit Similar →
1964 Fail Safe Foster Super Hit Similar →

Dana Elcar - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best movie of Dana Elcar?

According to audience ratings, the best movie starring Dana Elcar is "Of Mice and Men" with a rating of 9.0/10.

How many movies has Dana Elcar acted in?

Dana Elcar has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.

What are some other popular movies by Dana Elcar?

Other notable films include "The Sting", "The Borgia Stick", and "W.C. Fields and Me".