VENTURA, Calif., June 10 (UPI) -- Actor Dana Elcar, best known as Peter Thornton in the ABC series "MacGyver," has died in Ventura, Calif., of complications from pneumonia. He was 77.
Elcar, whose struggle with glaucoma and blindness was famously written into his character on the 1985-1992 series, died Monday at Community Memorial Hospital, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The thespian, although best known for his role on "MacGyver," also had starring roles in "Baretta," "Black Sheep Squadron" and "Centennial." He also appeared in at least 40 films, including "The Sting" (1973), "2010" (1984), "All of Me" (1984) and "The Learning Tree" (1969); and acted in many off-Broadway plays, including the first American productions of Harold Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter" and "The Caretaker," Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood" and Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot."
Elcar married and divorced three times.
He is survived by his son, Dane Elcar; three daughters, Nora Elcar Verdon, Chandra Elcar and Marin Elcar; a stepdaughter, Emily Prager; a sister, Marie E. Hewitt; a half-sister, Janet K. Melville; longtime companion Thelma M. Garcia and a granddaughter.
