 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Beverly
Hills [213]
September 2003
David James Elliott
& JAG
Flying High
During the long run of JAG, Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. USN, played by David James Elliott, has seen Secretaries of the Navy come and go, served under several Judge Advocates General, worked with numerous partners and colleagues in and out of the courtroom, loved and lost any number of girlfriends, survived airplane crashes, and probably is on the promotion list for Captain. Both an attorney and a naval aviator in the very popular military show (its 200th episode airs in January), Elliott seems to be the one constant presence - and it is a formidable one, always seemingly fresh.
"It's a grind working with this long with one character," Elliott acknowledges. "I have to find new ways to get into my character. I collect my thoughts and ask, 'What else can I find out about this guy?' It's like peeling an onion, layer by layer. That's my challenge year to year."
Born in Toronto, Elliott's initial interest was in music, rather than acting. At 19, he was singing in a rock band when he read for King Lear in a theater history class and was encouraged by his teacher to pursue acting. Elliott took the first step toward his future career when he was accepted by the prestigious Ryerson Polytechnic Institute (a Canadian arts college comparable to Julliard) in 1983. After graduation, he performed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, where he won the Jean Chalmers Award for Most Promising Actor. Soon after, Elliott starred in numerous Canadian stage productions, which led to a starring role in the Canadian Broadcasting Company series Street Legal from 1985-1988.
In 1990, Elliott moved to Los Angeles and was signed to a development deal with Disney. His television career quickly took off when he landed guest starring roles in such series as Doogie Howser, MD., The Hitchhiker, Dark Justice, and the Emmy award-winning China Beach.
In 1992, he won a recurring role as a pro basketball player opposite Nicolette Sheridan in Knots Landing. Later that year, he starred in Paramount's syndicated series The Untouchables and appeared in a recurring role on Melrose Place. He also made a memorable appearance as Carl the Moving Guy on Seinfeld. Elliott's credits also include a number of films for television, among them Degree of Guilt, Big Dreams and Broken Hearts, The Dottie West Story (in which he portrayed West's alcoholic husband), and the remake of A Holiday Affair.
Although Elliott did not serve in the military, his character - indeed, every non-civilian character on the show - is in Navy and Marine Corps jargon "squared away." Elliott is pleased to hear that.
"We have a good technical advisor. Matthew Siglock spent 22 years in the Marine Corps and really knows his stuff.
"I'll tell you how squared away he is," Elliott says. "We were going to play in a celebrity golf tournament and I picked him up really early in the morning at his hotel. When I walked in, his bed was made and I said, 'Has the maid been here in?' He replied, "No, I made it. I make my bed every morning.' In a hotel? I couldn't believe it."
Back to Various
Articles Page
Back to On The Cover Page
