Dana Elcar From 'MacGyver' Continued Working After Going Blind

The ultimate combination of action, smarts, secrecy, and science – MacGyver had it all. It also especially had a powerful cast who helped make everyone stand out even beside the genius Angus. Easily one of the standouts remains Dana Elcar, known forever as MacGyver’s boss, Pete Thornton. But what else was his career like outside of the Phoenix Foundation?

Born as Ibsen Dana Elcar on October 10, 1927, Elcar called Michigan home for much of his life, graduating from the state university before enlisting in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II. After his tour of duty, he got his land legs back by traveling to New York, seeking a career as an actor. This choice would launch a titanic television career lasting half a century.

The boss of the television

REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER, Dana Elcar, Hector Elizondo, 1975 / Everett Collection

Dana Elcar first decided he wanted to be an actor after a fumbled attempt at running away from home. At age 13, he and a friend tried to catch a train, only for Elcar to not be fast enough to hop on. He called his father to ask for help but still had to stay overnight at an all-night theatre playing Citizen Kane. “That kind of sparked him to be an actor. He watched it four or five times in one night,” his son revealed decades later.

Pete Thornton / (c) Paramount Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection

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debuted the character of Ben in the U.S. premiere of The Dumb Waiter in ’62. Almost immediately after, he landed a role in CBS’s monumental The Guiding Light. This was followed by multiple appearances in Car 54, Where Are You?, Naked City, and Dark Shadows. He acted opposite Robert Blake in Baretta. Other credits would include The Fall Guy, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, Gunsmoke, and Law & Order – among many others.

As a result, by the time he added MacGyver to his resume in ’85, Elcar had a diverse roster of credits under his belt, everything from Get Smart and The Partridge Family. If some people thought they saw him in two places at once, they’d be forgiven for thinking so; he and his body and photography double Don S. Davis were near indistinguishable from one another, a detail that would be prove very valuable in continuing his career.

When did Dana Elcar go blind?

Elcar’s romantic life would be as eventful as his professional one, albeit for different reasons. He’d first be married to Katherine Frances Mead from ’48 to ’50. He stayed with Peggy Romano longer, from ’54 to ’70. Ultimately, his longtime life partner was Thelma Garcia. Along the way, he became a father to four children named Marin Elcar, Nora Elcar Verdon, Dane Elcar, and Chandra Elcar.

Elcar's glaucoma became very important in the show and in other programs — Elcar’s glaucoma became very important in the show and in other programs / YouTube screenshot

MacGyver ran from ’85 to ’92 and Elcar was with there from start to finish, despite some dire circumstances. By 1991, Elcar developed glaucoma, one of the top causes of vision loss. The symptoms start slow enough that glaucoma is nicknamed the silent thief of vision. Elcar’s vision would become a huge character trait in both MacGyver and his other projects, including ER and even The Magic School Bus.

When he was completely blind, Elcar played Vladimir in Waiting for Godot, using an authentic white cane. This would be his theatrical sendoff, as Elcar retired in 2002. He left behind a strong impression that acts as inspiration for other thespians feeling the effects of time. Sadly, Elcar could only enjoy a few years of retirement, as he died on June 6, 2005, from pneumonia; he was 77. Rest in peace, a true inspiration.