On screen he is as tough as they come, but in the flesh, JAG star David James Elliott is anything but. When Inside TV caught up with him during a recent visit to Sydney, he had swapped his uniform for a striped polo shirt and cream trousers and was sipping frothy cappuccino.
Gone was the tough-talking lawyer and in his place was a sensitive new-age guy!
Yep, David is a modern man and he is not afraid to show it.
In town to promote his hit series, he insisted on bringing his wife Nanci and their four-year-old daughter Stephanie with him because he 'hates not having them by my side'. The family spent their first few days sight-seeing.
"I have seen Bondi Beach, the harbour bridge, the opera house," says David. "It's fantastic - we love it. Everything has been stunning, absolutely stunning."
But their visit to Taronga Zoo will stand out in their memories.
There the trio came face-to-face with kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and even a platypus.
"That was amazing," he says. "It was so wild seeing these animals up close. We got to touch them and everything. I couldn't believe the platypus was so small. They are truly little guys. I always thought they were huge!"
David also hopes to experience tropical Queensland. He intends to wander through lush rainforests and dive at the Barrier Reef. He then heads back home to continue work on JAG.
"I would love to stay longer," says David, wiping coffee froth from his handsome face.
"But the show takes a lot of time. My life is not my own, but don't get me wrong, that's not a bad position to be in."
Since joining JAG, David has worked 14 hours a day, five days a week. On Saturdays he usually does publicity work. It leaves little time for life in general, but David remains philosophical about it.
"It is really difficult, especially when you have a family," says the 36-year-old actor.
"What I try to do is make sure that when I have some free time it is quality time. It's hard, but not unusual in this profession. You can't get too stressed about it."
When things get tough, David finds relief in meditation. He also eats well, exercises and keeps fit. His top priority is communicating - particularly with his wife.
"Talking about my feelings keeps me sane," he explains. "My wife and I have a great relationship. If she is frustrated because I can't spend enough time with her, we talk about it. We keep the lines of communication open.
"Hopefully you won't see us in the divorce courts," he adds with a laugh.
As long as he keeps it all together, and we are sure he will, David will continue to star as hunky Lt.Cdr. Harmon Rabb Jr. He doesn't give away too much, but tells us the series will only become better and better.
"In this new series, you find out much more about my character's personal life," he enthuses.
Coy David is keeping his cards close to his chest about the possibility of romance in Harm's future. If he does fall in love, David will have no trouble acting it out. After all, he has had plenty of practice.
He has snogged Elaine on Seinfeld and set hearts aflutter with a turn on Melrose Place as Alison's alcoholic lover. But David saves his real passion for his wife.
"I was acting. It might have looked good, but those were screen kisses only," he explains.
"Your lips touch, but that's all. You are not using your tongues or anything. It is not the real thing - well, never in my experience anyway," he adds, laughing heartily.
Our thanks to Karlene Galway for submitting this.