It is with great sadness that I have learned that Dana Elcar, who played Pete Thornton on MacGyver and whose real-life battle with glaucoma was incorporated into the program, has passed away at age 77.
Mr. Elcar distinguished himself as a well-known character actor, appearing in a multitude of television programs and about a dozen or so movies.
Mr. Elcar went public with his glaucoma battle during the course of the program, and it was decided that his character, Pete Thornton, would fight a similar battle. Eventually, the glaucoma left Mr. Elcar totally blind, requiring him to use special computerized equipment for script readings.
He will be greatly missed.
Mr. Elcar distinguished himself as a well-known character actor, appearing in a multitude of television programs and about a dozen or so movies.
Mr. Elcar went public with his glaucoma battle during the course of the program, and it was decided that his character, Pete Thornton, would fight a similar battle. Eventually, the glaucoma left Mr. Elcar totally blind, requiring him to use special computerized equipment for script readings.
He will be greatly missed.