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About

DAVID JAMES ELLIOTT

General Braxton

David James Elliott stars in NBC's new miniseries "The Storm" as General Braxton.

Elliott, the Canadian star of the hit legal drama "JAG," was recently cast in the lead role of Alex Kinter on the miniseries "Impact!" Prior to that, he starred as District Attorney Conlon on the second season of Jerry Bruckheimer's hit series "Close to Home."

Best known for his role on "JAG," Elliott gained attentive audiences for 10 years as U.S. Navy lawyer Lieutenant Harmon Rabb. "JAG," which featured explosive action, dramatic stories, and film-quality special effects, was one of the most powerful and ambitious military legal dramas on television. The show earned numerous awards including the 2001 Imagen Foundation Award for a Primetime Television Series and the ASCAP Award for Top Television Series in 2000, 2003, and 2004. For his role on "JAG," Elliott won the 2000 TV Guide Award for Favorite Actor in a Dramatic Series, was nominated by TV Guide for Actor of the Year in a Dramatic Series in 2001, and landed a spot on People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful List.

Elliott may seem like a natural in front of the camera, but he did not always aspire to be the successful actor he is today. The second of three sons, he was born in Toronto, Canada. As a child, Elliott had a wild imagination and enjoyed playing make-believe war games. One of his high school teachers, impressed by his reading of "King Lear" in a theater history class, encouraged him to consider pursuing an acting career.

While at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in Toronto, one of the most prestigious acting schools in Canada, Elliott auditioned for "The Stratford Shakespearean Festival Company," earning a job with the acting troupe for two years. He then went on to win the Jean Chalmers Award for Most Promising Young Actor of the Season. Soon after, Elliott caught the attention of the producers of the Canadian television show "Street Legal" while performing the role of a dim-witted stripper in "B-Movie: The Play." The show was a breakout hit and made Elliott a household name in Canada. Elliott's breakthrough performance on "Street Legal" was just the beginning of his ongoing success.

Elliott landed a role in "Police Academy 3: Back in Training," and soon after, he decided to move from Canada to Los Angeles to further pursue his acting career. Upon his arrival in L.A., he immediately began appearing on various TV shows, including "China Beach," "The Hidden Room," "Doogie Howser, M.D." and "Dark Justice." In 1992, he landed a recurring role as a professional baseball player in the long running hit series "Knots Landing," and later that year starred in the syndicated series "The Untouchables" (1992-1993) as Treasury Agent Paul Robbins. Elliott also had a recurring guest role as Terry Parsons on the hit series "Melrose Place." He recently starred opposite Patricia Arquette in NBC's "Medium" as her "other life" husband.

One of Elliott's most memorable TV appearances was when he played Carl the Moving Guy, an anti-abortion furniture mover on "Seinfeld." He credits that one-time gig for opening bigger doors than he could ever knock down in any of his previous acting series. "I've always made a good living doing drama," says Elliott, "but I learned that if you do a comedy, the whole world opens up."

In addition, Elliott had roles in films such as the "Clockwatchers" with Parker Posey and Lisa Kudrow, as well as "The Shrink Is In" (2001) with Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette. He also had starring roles in the television movies "Code 11-14" (2003) and "The Man Who Lost Himself" (2005). Elliott produced and starred in the TV movie "Dodson's Journey" (2001), the first project for his production company, Firefly Productions. Off-camera, he directed the "JAG" episodes "Lifeline" and "Take It Like a Man." He also wrote an episode of the show.

Elliott married his one-time co-star, Nanci Chambers, in a quiet wedding in 1993. In his spare time he enjoys playing with his two children, reading, golfing, writing, and watching old movies. He also loves to run and has competed in many marathons and triathlons.