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The MacGyver F.A.Q.

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The MacGyver F.A.Q.

Version 1.1

(last updated 08 February 1995)

3. Organizations within the MacGyver Universe

3.1) The Phoenix Foundation

The Phoenix Foundation is a privately funded research institute that involves itself primarily in fostering diplomatic relations, environmental studies, conservation efforts, and technological innovation. Pete Thornton became Director of Operations in 1987 and has been instrumental in helping the Foundation gain worldwide renown. The Foundation is well-respected by the media, world governments, and the public.

3.2) DXS (Department of External Services)

A government agency that is similar in many respects to the Central Intelligence Agency. Pete Thornton worked at the DXS for many years as a field operative, as did MacGyver, before both moved to the Phoenix Foundation. (*Note: In a few episodes, the DXS was mistakenly referred to as the "DSX.")

3.3) HIT (Homicide International Trust)

As HIT employee Murdoc says, Homicide International Trust is sort of like an "international Murder Incorporated." HIT was once headed by Nicholas Helman, who used his exclusive Helman Club as a front for HIT's activities. Helman was killed in a confrontation with Murdoc. HIT quickly recovered from this incident, even offering to reinstate Murdoc as an employee. The governing body of HIT is a group of men and women known only as The Board.

3.4) The Challengers Club

The Boys and Girls Club where MacGyver spends much of his free time. The Club's original director, Booker Wilson, was murdered by a white supremacist. His wife, Cynthia (see section 2.8), has since taken over the job of running the Challengers Club.


4. Miscellaneous

4.1) Honors and Recognitions

Curiously, "MacGyver" never won an Emmy. But the show has earned honors for other aspects of its production.


4.2) About the Actors

4.2.1) Richard Dean Anderson

Born: Minneapolis, MN January 23, 1950

Personal Notes:

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (guest appearances)

TV Movies:

Other TV appearances:

Theatrical Movies:

4.2.2) Dana Elcar

Born: Ferndale, MI October 10, 1927 (full name Ibson Dana Elcar)

Notes: Went blind due to glaucoma ~1991.

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (Guest roles):

TV Movies:

Miniseries:

Theatrical Movies:

4.2.3) Bruce McGill

Born: UNKNOWN

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (Guest roles):

TV Movies:

Theatrical Movies:

4.2.4) Michael Des Barres

Born: Jan 24 (~1949 or 1950)

Notes: Also a rock musician (see Discography)

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (Guest roles):

TV Movies:

Theatrical Movies:

Discography:

4.2.5) Teri Hatcher

Born: Dec. 8, 1964 (?)

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (Guest roles):

TV Movies:

Theatrical Movies:

4.2.6) John Anderson

Born: Clayton IL October 20, 1922
Died: August 7, 1992

Notes: Lean, craggy character actor who was often cast as villains in westerns.

TV Series (Regular roles):

TV Series (Guest roles):

TV Movies:

Miniseries:

Theatrical Movies:

4.2.7) Dalton James

Played Sean Angus Malloy (SAM) in the final episode of MACGYVER (1992). Also starred in the series "Crossroads" with Robert Urich (ABC 1992-93) as Dylan Hawkins.
He recently appeared in the film "My Father the Hero" as Ben.

4.2.8) Others

4.2.8.1) Elyssa Davalos

Played Nikki Carpenter in 6 episodes of "MacGyver" from 1987-88. Other appearances include:

TV Series (Guest roles):

Movies:

4.2.8.2) Martin Milner

The star of "Route 66" and "Adam 12", amongst other shows, Martin Milner appeared twice on "MacGyver", once as a hockey coach (Turk in "Thin Ice") and the other time as Mac's father (James MacGyver in "Passages"). A different actor (unknown) played Mac's father in "Phoenix Under Siege".

4.2.8.3) Famous Faces

Athletes/Sports Figures:

References:

4.3) Other frequently asked questions

Q.

Why does MacGyver hate guns?

A.

Refer, if you will, to the episode titled "Blood Brothers," where Mac and his childhood friends relive an incident that took place 25 years earlier. Young MacGyver and his friends - Neil, Chuck, and Jesse - borrowed Mac's father's gun and pooled their money to buy a box of bullets. They were shooting target practice when either Neil or Chuck saw a bird and tried to shoot it. MacGyver knocked the gun away, but as the pistol hit the ground, it discharged, hitting Jesse in the chest. Jesse died from his wound despite his Mac's attempts to save him. As a result of this traumatic event, MacGyver has refused to use guns. (He does occasionally take them apart to use as wrenches, lockpicks, or other tools.)

Q.

But didn't I see MacGyver fire a rifle in the series premiere?

A.

Yes, you certainly did. But the producers hadn't fully fleshed out the character yet, and so in the scene where Mac and the rescued pilot are being chased by soldiers, we see Mac shooting at them. Interestingly, in the second-season episode "Friends," that same scene is shown - with the footage of MacGyver firing the rifle removed.

Q.

Is Dana Elcar (who plays Pete Thornton) going blind in real life?

A.

Unfortunately, yes. Mr. Elcar was diagnosed with glaucoma more than 25 years before "Blind Faith," the episode where he reveals that he's going blind. He didn't realize how badly his vision had deteriorated until a night location shoot for "MacGyver," when he became disoriented in the darkness. Mr. Elcar is legally blind and had to have his scripts read to him.

Q.

So who's this Lee David Zlotoff guy?

A.

He's the creator of "MacGyver." He was a writer and supervising producer for the first season of "Remington Steele." The most recent production that's been associated with him was the sci-fi TV movie "Plymouth."

Q.

How did the producers come up with MacGyver's first name?

A.

Actually, they didn't. Richard Dean Anderson came up with it. Legend has it that he saw the name in large letters on a banner at a Vancouver charity event. He suggested it to the producers, and they went along with it.

Q.

But I thought his first name was supposed to be "Stace," not "Angus."

A.

"Stace" was the name that had been circulating in press kits and other publicity before the show premiered. It was soon squelched.

Q.

How was Richard Dean Anderson cast for the role of MacGyver?

A.

The now-famous tale of how he got the part goes something like this: Before he was to begin reading for the part, Richard had to stop to fish his glasses out of a bag. Henry Winkler, one of the show's producers, recalls being so impressed by this simple, human act that they cast him on the spot.

Q.

Is Richard Dean Anderson as nice a guy as he seems on "MacGyver?"

A.

It certainly seems that way. Carrie Chin, compiler of this FAQ, had the incredible fortune to watch him this September on the set of "Past the Bleachers," a Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-TV movie filmed in Covington, Georgia. He has a laid-back, playful attitude on the set that makes him popular with cast and crew, but when it's time for the cameras to roll, he's right there, on his mark, and he never misses his lines. Dana Elcar said in a 1991 interview that, as he struggled with glaucoma, Richard never made him feel out of place. He is accommodating to his many fans; he signed many autographs and posed for pictures on the set of "Past the Bleachers."

MacGyver Mailing List subscriber Jenny Wake, who actually spent three days on the "MacGyver" set in 1990, has this to say: "I was on the set of MacGyver during filming for the "Harry's Will" episode. One of my favourite memories is Mayim Bialik arriving to say goodbye after completing second unit work for an episode on teen alcoholism [note: "Twenty Questions." -Carrie]. RDA [Richard Dean Anderson] was standing in the drizzle, engrossed in watching the crew set up for a vehicle stunt, but when Mayim tugged at his cardigan and he turned around and saw her, he dropped his umbrella, swept her up in a big hug and cried: 'Hi baby, how're ya doin'? How did it go?' There was real warmth and affection in that hug and it was easy to imagine how supportive RDA had been during what was probably a tough episode for Mayim. Henry Winkler told me later: 'One reason the show has been on the air for so long is there's no star trip with Richard Dean. He's just a hard-working professional.'"

Q.

Haven't I seen that actor before - as a different character - in another episode of "MacGyver?"

A.

You probably have. Several supporting actors popped up again and again as different characters in different episodes. Elyssa Davalos, for example, played Mac's lost love in "Lost Love," then returned a few episodes later as Nikki Carpenter, Phoenix operative. Robin Mossley did a similar trick in the fifth season when he appeared as imprisoned journalist Alexander Shannon in "Legend of the Holy Rose" and came back in several episodes to play MacGyver's neighbor, Wilt Bozer. We could go on and on about Kai Wulff, Jackson Davies, Blu Mankuma, and others, but we'll let viewers have the fun of spotting the recycled actor.

Q.

Just how many high-school/college sweethearts has Mac had?

A.

Plenty. At last count there were ten; of those ten, five are dead, one is in jail for attempted murder, and one is on assignment for the Phoenix Foundation. The other three are fine.

Q.

Every time a prospective love interest shows up, she either dies, goes away, or tries to kill MacGyver. Why? Why? Why?

A.

You can thank the female viewership for that one. It seems that there are several ladies out there who want MacGyver to remain an eligible bachelor. Case in point: Maria Romburg, introduced in "The Wall." The studio received such scathing fan responses that she only appeared in one more episode, "MacGyver's Women."

Q.

Why does it look like some scenes are from feature films I've seen?

A.

Because there are at least three confirmed episodes containing footage taken directly from movies. "Thief of Budapest" has clips from "The Italian Connection." "Trumbo's World" takes film from "The Naked Jungle." "GX-1" contains footage from "Top Gun."

Q.

Will there ever be another TV series?

A.

Not likely. ABC cancelled "MacGyver" because of low ratings, and past performance usually dictates what sort of "revival" a show will have. Richard Dean Anderson has said that, for now, he wants to focus more on TV movies instead of series, so if "MacGyver's" going to come back, it will probably be as a series of occasional made-for-TV movies. (Update: Future "MacGyver" adventures are even more in doubt now that Richard Dean Anderson has begun production on his new Paramount TV series "Legend," scheduled to air sometime in 1995.)

Q.

Who comes up with those incredible MacGyverisms?

A.

This answer comes from one of the MacGyver Mailing List subscribers. The show's science consultant is gemologist John Koivula. According to an article in the March, 1989, issue of 3-2-1 Contact, Koivula had to use his discretion when designing some of the more potentially dangerous MacGyverisms (e.g. explosives). In those cases, an ingredient was typically left out of the television "recipe."

Q.

I'm confused as to MacGyver's background. Can you help?

A.

You have every right to be confused. First off, in the series premiere, we see Mac firing a gun. Then, later in the season, there are references to MacGyver's time in Vietnam as part of a Special Forces bomb-defusing squad. There's even some evidence that he might have been a Navy SEAL. But, soon afterward, his aversion to guns surfaces, putting his entire military career in doubt. From the third season forward, we're given more and more information to lead us to the conclusion that he never served in the military and was, in fact, a pacifist who protested the Vietnam War.

Q.

We know how much Mac loves the game of hockey. But what about Richard Dean Anderson? How does he feel about the sport?

A.

Two words: He's obsessed.

Q.

What kind of degree does MacGyver have?

A.

That's a tough call. Mac has extensive knowledge of electronics, chemistry, and physics, among other things. And it's best that you not bring up this topic on the MacGyver Mailing List, either. It's been the cause of some rather heated arguments between those who believe Mac holds a chemistry degree and those who say he's a physicist.

Q.

Are there any episodes of "MacGyver" available on videotape?

A.

Not at this time. It's unclear as to whether Paramount has any intention of issuing videotapes or laserdiscs of "MacGyver." (***Updated: all seven seasons of MacGyver are now available on DVD! Check amazon.com or google "MacGyver DVD".)



Acknowledgments

The MacGyver FAQ previously appeared at www.uplinktech.net/macgyver/ which has closed: many thanks to Melissa for giving me permission to re-post it here. Many, many thanks also to the people who wrote the information in this FAQ and put it together.


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