# David James Elliott

David William Smith (born September 21, 1960), known professionally as David James Elliott, is a Canadian actor. He was the star of the series JAG, playing lead character Harmon Rabb Jr. from 1995 to 2005.

## Early life

Elliott was born David William Smith on September 21, 1960, in Milton, Ontario, Canada, the son of Patricia Smith (née Farrow), an office manager, and Arnold Smith, a heating and plumbing wholesale contractor. He was born the second of three boys. During his teenaged years, he was part of a band, quitting Milton District High School in his final year to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. At age 19, though, he realized this would not happen and returned to finish high school.
After graduating from high school, he attended Ryerson University in Toronto, graduating in 1982. He joined the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Ontario as a member of its Young Company.

## Career

Subsequently, moving to Los Angeles, he took the stage name David James Elliott, having found an actor was already named David Smith. He appeared in the film Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986, and subsequently in the television series Street Legal, Knots Landing as Bill Nolan, and in 1993's The Untouchables as Agent Paul Robbins. The following year, Elliott landed a recurring role on the hit series Melrose Place, playing Terry Parsons, and a guest appearance in an episode of Seinfeld as "Carl" the pro life furniture mover.
In 1995, Elliott landed the role he would hold for 10 years, as a naval aviator-turned JAG lawyer, Harmon Rabb, Jr., in the NBC/CBS television drama JAG. His tenure on JAG ended in 2005 with the series finale.
In 1996, Elliott starred in the made-for-cable movie Holiday Affair with Cynthia Gibb. This is a remake of the 1949 classic Holiday Affair, which starred Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. In 2005, Elliott starred in a Canadian television movie The Man Who Lost Himself, which was based on the true story of Terry Evanshen, a Canadian football player who was in a car accident and lost his memory due to severe head injuries. Nanci Chambers also appeared in this movie as a doctor. In October 2006, Elliott joined the cast of legal drama Close to Home (2005–2007) as Chief Deputy Prosecutor James Conlon. During 2008, he had a recurring role in the Canadian series The Guard. He starred in Sci Fi Channel's four-hour miniseries, Knights of Bloodsteel (2009). Elliott was cast as an Internet millionaire in Terror Trap, directed by Dan Garcia. Elliott also starred in Dad's Home (2010), as a widowed advertising executive who loses his job and becomes a stay-at-home dad for his two children.
On March 19, 2010, Elliott replaced Neal McDonough as the male lead in the television series Scoundrels. In 2010, Elliott was cast as FBI Agent Russ Josephson on CSI: NY, a recurring role as Detective Jo Danville's (Sela Ward) ex-husband, a role which he first portrayed in January 2011.
In 2012, Elliott also co-starred as Ripp Cockburn, the husband of Kristin Chenoweth's character Carlene, on ABC's comedy-drama series GCB. In 2014, Elliott appeared in Mad Men as Dave Wooster. In 2015, Elliott guest-starred in the TV drama Scorpion and played actor John Wayne in the film Trumbo.
On March 29, 2019, CBS announced Elliott would be reprising his JAG role of Harmon Rabb, Jr., for a multiple-episode arc in the 10th season of NCIS: Los Angeles.

## Personal life

He married actress Nanci Chambers in 1992. She also appeared in JAG as the ambitious Lt. Loren Singer. They have a daughter, Stephanie Smith (b. 1993) and a son, Wyatt Smith.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1986 | Police Academy 3: Back in Training | Cadet Baxter #2 |
| 1986 | The Climb | Otto Kempter |
| 1987 | The Big Town | Cool Guy |
| 1988 | Night Friend | Cab Driver |
| 1997 | Clockwatchers | Mr. MacNamee |
| 2000 | Stanley's Gig | Record Store Clerk |
| 2001 | The Shrink Is In | Michael |
| 2008 | The Rainbow Tribe | Morgan Roberts |
| 2009 | Gooby | Jack Dandridge |
| 2010 | Confined | Michael Peyton |
| 2010 | Terror Trap | Don |
| 2012 | Rufus | Hugh Wade |
| 2014 | Stranded (Dawn Patrol) | Jim |
| 2015 | Battle Scars | Frank Stephens |
| 2015 | Trumbo | John Wayne |
| 2019 | The Obituary of Tunde Johnson | Alfred O'Connor |
| 2021 | Lansky | Frank Rivers |
| 2021 | Heart of Champions | Mr. Singleton |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | The Campbells | Hardy | Episode: "First Day" |
| 1987 | Adderly | Commando | Episode: "Year of the Tiger" |
| 1987 | Mariah | Fergus | Episode: "Prey" |
| 1987 | Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future | Jason | Episode: "The Mirror in Darkness" |
| 1988–91 | Street Legal | Nick Del Gado | Main character |
| 1989 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Ted | Episode: "In the Driver's Seat" |
| 1989 | The Hitchhiker | Jason | Episode: "The Cruelest Cut" |
| 1990 | China Beach | Mr. Green | Episode: "Phoenix" |
| 1991 | Over My Dead Body | Larry Chadway | Episode: "Separation Is Murder" |
| 1991 | Her Wicked Ways | Andrew | TV film |
| 1991 | Fly by Night | Mack Sheppard | Unknown episodes |
| 1991 | The Hidden Room | Ron | Episode: "A Type of Love Story" |
| 1992 | Doogie Howser, M.D. | Rick O'Neill | Episode: "The Show Mustn't Go On" |
| 1992 | Dark Justice | Zachary Hamilton | Episode: "Needy Things" |
| 1992 | Knots Landing | Bill Nolan | 3 episodes |
| 1993–94 | The Untouchables | Agent Paul Robbins | Main cast |
| 1994 | Golden Gate | Tony Gennera | TV film |
| 1994 | Seinfeld | Carl | Episode: "The Couch" |
| 1994–95 | Melrose Place | Terry Parsons | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story | Byron Metcalf | TV film |
| 1995 | Degree of Guilt | Chris Paget | TV film |
| 1995–2005 | JAG | Harmon 'Harm' Rabb Jr. | Main role |
| 1996 | Holiday Affair | Steve Mason | TV movie |
| 1998 | Hercules | Thor | Episode: "Hercules and the Twilight of the Gods" Voice role |
| 1999 | Maggie Winters | Jack | Episode: "Girls Night Out" |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Romac | Episode: "Star Crossed" Voice role |
| 2001 | Dodson's Journey | James Dodson | TV movie |
| 2003 | Yes, Dear | Commander Harmon 'Harm' Rabb Jr. | Episode: "Let's Get Jaggy with It" |
| 2003 | Code 11-14 | Det. Kurt Novack | TV movie |
| 2005 | The Stranger I Married | Terry Evanshen | TV movie |
| 2006 | Sixty Minute Man | John Henderson | TV movie |
| 2006 | Medium | Johnny Dunham | Episode: "Twice Upon a Time" |
| 2006–07 | Close to Home | Chief Deputy Prosecutor James Conlon | Main role (season 2) |
| 2008 | Love Sick: Secrets of a Sex Addict | Rick Hudson | TV movie |
| 2008 | The Guard | David Renwald | Recurring role |
| 2009 | Impact | Alex Kittner | TV miniseries |
| 2009 | Knights of Bloodsteel | John Serragoth | TV miniseries |
| 2009 | The Storm | General Wilson Braxton | TV miniseries |
| 2010 | Scoundrels | Wolfgang 'Wolf' West | Main character |
| 2010 | Dad's Home | Ben Westman | TV film |
| 2011 | Truth Be Told | Mark Crane | TV film |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | FBI Agent Russ Josephson | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | GCB | Ripp Cockburn | Main role |
| 2013 | Exploding Sun | Don Wincroft | TV movie |
| 2014 | Mad Men | Dave Wooster | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Here's Your Damn Family | Mike | Unknown episodes |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Bruce | Episode: "Forget Me Nots" |
| 2017 | Mom | Joe | Episode: "A Bouncy Castle and an Aneurysm" |
| 2018–19 | Impulse | Bill Boone | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey | Larry Pinkerton | TV film |
| 2019 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Harmon 'Harm' Rabb Jr. | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Kominsky Method | William | Episode: "Chapter 9. An Actor Forgets" |
| 2020 | Spinning Out | James Davis | Main role |
| 2021–23 | Heels | Tom Spade | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas Movie | Lumber Jack | Roku Channel Special |
| 2022 | Call Me Kat | Dan Kingbird | Call Me "Cat's in the Cradle" Season 3 Episode 15 |
| TBA | Revival † | Wayne Cypress | |
Key :
| † | Denotes series that have not yet been released |

## Awards

* TV Guide Award [2000] "Favorite Male Actor in a Drama"