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. 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. Elliott reprised his
JAG role of Harmon Rabb, Jr. for a multiple-episode arc in
NCIS: Los Angeles season 10. == Personal life ==