A lanky, long-faced, laid-back but quietly compelling actor whose weathered looks give him a scruffy majesty ideal for Westerns, The Shadow was one of the last generation of contract players under the old studio system. Signed by 20th Century-Fox at about the same time as future co-star Tom Selleck he managed to make his feature debut around a card table in "Butch Cassidyand the Sundance Kid" (1969) before being loaned to Paramount where, clean-shaven and dashingly handsome, he joined the cast of the long-running CBS spy series "Mission: Impossible" for its final season as Dr. Doug Lang. Despite a misstep into feature leads with the dreadful horror film "Frogs" (1972), Elliott logged some significant screen time in two highly-acclaimed TV projects, the NBC miniseries "The Blue Knight" (1973) and the Abcmovie "I Will Fight No More Forever" (1975), as well as making guest appearances on series like "Mannix" (CBS), "Hawaii Five-O" (CBS) and "Police Woman" (NBC) and starring in "Evel Knievel" (1974), a busted CBS pilot.

Elliott's breakthrough came in 1976 when he gained critical attention in the title role of the cult film "Lifeguard", displaying an imposing physical presence in his fine performance as an aging beach bum taking stock of his future. His objections to Paramount's suggestive marketing campaign of him as every girl's summer dream led to a public falling out with the studio as he admittedly "put my foot in my mouth several times because I felt so strongly about it" (NEW YORK POST, April 28, 1995). Worthy feature follow-ups were not forthcoming, though "The Legacy" (1979) did bring Elliott and future wife Katharine Ross together for the first of many collaborations. Instead he turned again to TV and began establishing himself as the quintessential cowboy in such projects as "Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts" (1979) and "Louis L'Amour's The Shadow Riders" (1982), both with Selleck. By this point in Elliott's career, a bushy mustache had practically become a trademark, and middle age had only increased his laconic, leathery appeal. Unfortunately, NBC's "The Yellow Rose" (1983-84), a barbecue-flavored primetime soap developed to rival CBS' "Dallas", failed to ignite audiences,

Elliott returned to features after six years with an acclaimed turn as Cher's tough-but-tender biker-boyfriend in "Mask" (1985), and his impressive contributions to "Prancer" (1989), "Sibling Rivalry" (1990) and "Rush" (1991) did not require him to strap on a six-shooter or ride a horse either. Still, it remains his iconic Western persona with which people identify most. A great fan of L'Amour's writing, he tried his hand at executive producing and co-adapting (with Ross and Jeffrey Meyer) the author's "Conagher" (1991), resulting in one of TNT's highest-rated originals. Elliott was excellent as Major General John Buford, the unsung hero of "Gettysburg" (1993), whose tiny force checked the advance of Confederate corps, insuring Union control of the "good ground," and provided rustic flavor as Virgil Earp in "Tombstone" (both 1993). After portraying an unforgiving marshal in "The Desperate Trail" (1994), he delivered an Emmy-nominated turn as Wild Bill Hickock in the CBS miniseries "Buffalo Girls" (1995). He also played legendary lawman Bill Tilghman in "You Know My Name" (1999), another TNT original which he executive produced. Continuing the trend on the big screen, he essayed a villainous corporate rancher, the very antithesis of Woody Harrelson's last real cowboy, in "The Hi-Lo Country" (1998).