Stunts double the fun on JAG
Broken bones go with the job for David James Elliott
by Jackie Brygel, Australia, June 1997

 

Harm

As the star of the US action drama series JAG, David James Elliott has found himself performing one hair-raising stunt after another.

Living dangerously is all part of the fun for the Canadian-born actor.

"I've sprained my ankle, broken my hand and thrown my back out more times than I can remember," Elliott says with a grin.

"While I don't like getting hurt, these stunts are kind of fun and exciting. They do give you a thrill."

Elliott, who plays navy lawyer and officer Harmon Rabb Jr. in the Channel Seven series, describes himself as "a physical guy".

"There are some stunts we use a double for because they are too dangerous, but I have done a bunch myself," he says.

"I remember one scene where I was fighting with a guy in the back of a truck while it was going full-bore over this really rugged terrain with bombs blowing up all over the place. That was probably the most dangerous thing I have done on the show."

In Australia as one of the international guests at last Sunday's Logie Awards, Elliott is full of enthusiasm for his craft.

His chiselled features light up as he talks about his role on JAG.

"Every episode is different," he says. "It's like a different movie every week. Some episodes are more action-packed, others are court-room dramas, and some are more relationship-driven.

"From an acting point of view, there's always something to keep my interest and something to challenge me."

In the past two series of JAG, Elliott has done a great deal of research into the lives of navy officers - everything from reading navy books and manuals to talking to members of the marine corps.

"I think the greatest compliments I have received have been from people who are or were active in the marine corps and who have come up to me and said, 'You do the uniform proud,'" he smiles.

Before his role on JAG, Elliott was known to TV viewers for his recurring role as Terry Parsons, an alcoholic sex addict who had an affair with Alison (Courtney Thorne-Smith) on Melrose Place.

But it was his guest spot as Carl the removalist on the hit comedy Seinfeld that opened many doors for Elliott.

"I was really afraid going into Seinfeld," he concedes. "I thought, 'These guys have got to be nightmares'. I figured they would all be egomaniacs because they were so famous and they had the number one show on TV.

"But it was exactly the opposite. They were so nice and totally professional and it was a joy to watch them work.

"We shot the episode on my birthday and I remember thinking, 'This is the best birthday present ever'."

For the past five years Elliott has been happily married to fellow actor Nanci Chambers. The couple have a four-year-old daughter, Stephanie.

Elliott is enjoying a one-week holiday in Port Douglas with his family before returning home.

"On our way back to America, we are stopping in South Africa, so this is definitely my year of seeing the world," he says.

Our thanks to Karlene Galway for submitting this.