David James is an actor of Canadian descent, best known for his role as Harmon Rabb in the Military Legal Service (JAG) series.
early years
David James Elliott was born on September 21, 1960 under the name David William Smith in the small town of Milton in Canada. He was the middle son in a family with three children. His father, Arnold Smith, was a wholesaler of heating and water supplies, and his mother, Pat Farrow, was an office manager.
David attended Milton High School (about 64 kilometers from Toronto). While in high school, he briefly dropped out of school to play music in a group. He dreamed of becoming a rock star, but when he realized that nothing could come of the band, he returned to school and graduated in 1980. In the same year, he was enrolled in the Polytechnic Institute in Toronto, where he studied theater art for three years.
The next two years, David honed his acting skills at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, where he took part in several productions along with the best theater actors. It was an incredible experience for him, and in 1983 he received the award (Jean Chalmers Award) as the most promising actor.
Career before JAG
Joining the United States Film Actors Guild, David changed his name to David James Elliott.
In 1987, David plays the character Dick, a stupid stripper, in the play B-Movie: The Play, when he is noticed by one of the producers of the CBC series "The Labyrinth of Justice." So he gets his first regular role in the series, the role of Nick Del Gado, a Toronto police detective. At the same time, he appears with minor roles in films such as Police Academy 3 and Chicago Blues.
In 1990, David James follows his dream and moves to Hollywood. The deal with Disney, which brought him here, fell through, so the aspiring actor has to make his own way in Hollywood. He appears with small roles in such series as Hidden Room, Dark Justice, Silent Pier, Catch Luck on the Fly.
Successful in terms of both career and personal life is 1992 for David. He marries actress Nancy Chambers and gets a role in the series The Untouchables. Filming takes place in Chicago, which means moving for David and Nancy. In 1993, they have a daughter, Stephanie.
From 1993 to 1995, David did not have a “stable” job. He periodically appeared with episodic roles in television films and TV shows, including Melrose Place and Seinfeld. David attributes his late success to this particular appearance in Seinfeld, noting that after he began to receive phone calls starting with the phrase "We did not know that he could be a comedian!".
In 1995, David was waiting for a big breakthrough. He auditioned for the series Military Law Service and received the role of Harmon Rabb, which provides him with permanent work for the next 10 years.
Career after JAG
Despite being busy at the JAG, David James Elliott continues to periodically star in other television films. These are mainly family films or films in the genre of romantic melodrama.
Meanwhile, his personal life is in full swing. In 1999, David and Nancy arranged a real wedding, which they promised themselves seven years ago. In 2003, their son Wyatt was born.
The first work of David after the series "Military Legal Service" was the thriller "Married a Stranger." For his filming, David returned to Canada for a while. David also appears with major roles in various TV shows and films, such as Near the House, Rainbow Tribe, Last Day, Gubi, Knights of Steel Blood, and others.