David James Elliott steps into the Brentwood coffee shop and heads
turn. At 6’4” with piercing blue eyes, his striking good looks
make him stand out in a crowd. That star quality is apparent even
though he’s still not a household name, but the lead in TV’s JAG
truly believes he is in some kind of seventh heaven.
“It’s just a great exciting time in my life right now,” he says
as a greeting. “Being a father and husband and having great work.
It’s groovy, it’s really great,” Elliott exclaims.
The series, which is in its third year, is doing well, maybe great.
Because JAG is produced by Magnum P.I.’s Donald Bellisario, Elliott
initially had to face comparisons to Tom Selleck. But after more
than two years, he’s beyond that. The show has given him the chance
to get his head above the clouds, literally.
“Yeah, I’ve flown with the Blue Angels. That was incredible. In
an F-18 - it was the experience of a lifetime.” The show has certainly
opened new doors for him. He and co-star Patrick Labyorteaux are
working on treatments for half hour sitcoms, and then there’s
the possibility of some big screen projects.
“The tough part of this show is the yin and the yang of it. As
a result of the show, I’m considered for better roles in movies,
but because the show is what it is, there is really no time. So
I hope to do one on hiatus.” He adds, “I want to be as prolific
in the business as I can be. I want to act, write, direct and
produce.”
Luckily, Elliott has an understanding wife who, it turns out,
is also an actor. He explains, “She understands the business.
We work on stuff together and she’s my b.s. meter. She’ll always
let me know if there’s truth or if I missed that moment.”
That supportive relationship has helped him get through the lean
times when he says he once rarely worked for a year and a half. “It was scary. I worked drips and drabs,” Elliott says in a matter-of-fact
way. “You go through that a long time and you try and guess what
they want instead of going in and giving them your impression
of the role. I needed to find my muse’s fire again. So, we went
away for six weeks.”
Now, with the series, Elliott is back on track. He describes himself
as motivated, driven, excited and happy. He stays healthy by working
with a nutritionist and by doing up to 150 push ups and 300 situps
a day. He and his wife, who is from Canada, have even found an
area in L.A. that makes them feel at home.
“You know what we miss more than anything and why we like Brentwood
is this little area feels like a neighborhood.” He adds, “You
miss the neighborhood in Los Angeles.”
--Laurel Jo Alejo
