Elcar was an American television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as well as on the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter Thornton, MacGyver's immediate supervisor at the Phoenix Foundation.

Early in his career appeared on The Guiding Light, Car 54, Where Are You?, Naked City, and Dark Shadows. He played Inspector Shiller, the supervisor, in the crime drama, Baretta, starring Robert Blake. As a character actor, Elcar guest-starred in many television shows, including Gunsmoke, Mannix, Ironside, Columbo, Cannon, Benson, Newhart, The Fall Guy, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, Trapper John, M.D., Matlock, Law and Order, and ER.

Elcar guest starred on Get Smart, CBS's Mission: Impossible and Storefront Lawyers in 1970. In 1971, he was a guest star on Ironside. He appeared on The Waltons and Kung Fu in 1973. He had a regular role as Colonel Lard in the 1976–78 television military drama, Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad, and also directed four episodes of the series. He appeared in TV disaster movies such as Heatwave! (1974) and Crisis in Mid-Air (1979).

In 1979 he played judges in Centennial and B. J. and the Bear. He also co-starred in two episodes of The A-Teamin 1984 and 1985. In 1987, he was cast on Matlock.

Elcar and his stunt/photography double Don S. Davis were often mistaken for each other. Elcar appeared in the hit series Knight Rider in the 1983 episode "Merchants of Death"; as a corrupt sheriff in The Incredible Hulk episode "Escape from Los Santos" (1978), in which Banner is headed to Phoenix; and as KAOS Agent Kruger in the 2-part 1969 episode of Get Smart entitled "And Baby Makes Four".

In 1991, Elcar began to develop glaucoma. This condition was written into the MacGyver plotline, beginning with the sixth season seventeenth episode "Blind Faith" and continuing through the remainder of that season and the entire seventh season.

Elcar died of pneumonia at age 77.

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