Elcar played Peter Thornton, MacGyver’s boss and best friend at work. Initially, he appeared in the pilot episode in a completely different role. He played Andy Colson in the very first show but was switched after producers realized he’d make a great Peter. The men worked together at the Department of External Services.
In 1991 he developed glaucoma, and producers decided to work it into the show. The condition was written into the episode titled “Blind Faith.” Elcar played a couple of blind characters after the condition worsened, including a role on The Magic School Bus, and the role of Vladimir in Waiting for Godot. In 2005, the 77-year-old developed a bad case of pneumonia and passed away in the hospital.
Making the Impossible Possible
MacGyver has more than just a name. You may have heard someone use the phrase “let’s just MacGyver it?” That’s because the man can find his way out of any sticky situation using no more than the shirt on his back and random objects in his vicinity.
While some of MacGyver’s inventions seemed a little far-fetched, especially when the show first came out, others left you thinking that it may actually be possible. So, they made sure to include a disclaimer in the credits, warning people not to try anything they saw at home.
The Original MacGyver
Richard Dean Anderson was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a kid, he had big dreams of becoming a professional hockey player. But that all changed when, at 16, an accident on the ice caused him to break both of his arms.
Recovery was a long, tough road, but it was then when he discovered his passion and talent for entertainment. After college, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. In 1976 he landed the role of Dr. Jeff Webber in General Hospital. Nearly a decade later, he landed the role of MacGyver, which would essentially skyrocket his career. Although he would later reflect on the role with bittersweet emotions.
Stargate
After seven years of filming, MacGyver was a wrap, Anderson was happy to have some of his life back. Over the next few years, he appeared in a few films including, Through the Eyes of a Killer, Pandora’s Clock and Firehouse. But in 1997, he landed another starring role on television, this time as Jack O’Neill in Stargate SG-1.
The show was based on the Stargate film, which starred Kurt Russell and James Spader. The film’s producers called him to ask him personally if he wanted the role. But before he accepted, he first watched the movie over and over again until he was confident that the show had “great potential.”
Very Happy Days
Happy Days was extremely popular in the ’70s and ’80s, and even after it ended, reruns of the show continued to play throughout households all over America. You may recognize Henry Winkler, who played the infamous role of Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli (“heyyy!”) But what does Fonzie have to do with Richard Dean Anderson’s show?
Well, Winkler worked as a producer on MacGyver and was responsible in large part for casting Anderson into his starring role. Everyone who's worked with Winkler has nothing but nice things to say about him, which is funny considering his most famous character was “the jerk.”
Stuntman Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson did all of his stunts for the entire first five years that it was on the air, and, if you’ve seen MacGyver – you know just how dangerous those stunts were. But Anderson’s advice to, “floor it, when in doubt, just floor it,” would prove nearly fatal a couple of times in his life.
The first was when, five years into the show, he wound up in the hospital with his back and feet being operated on. After the surgery, he no longer did his own stunts. Luckily, however, he would recover enough to drive, walk, and ski.
The Rhinoceros
In the same episode that Anderson was filming on which he hurt his back, MacGyver was going after poachers, who were hunting a rhinoceros. The “rhinoceros” was in fact, nothing more than $40,000 worth of effects, but apparently, they did a wonderful job of making it look real.
When it was killed during a scene on the show, viewers called in, concerned about the "poor animal." who was hurt for entertainment purposes. The president of the network at the time, Brandon Stoddard, had it in for the show, and some believe that is why it was aired in the same time slot was as Monday Night Football. Luckily, they managed to do just fine regardless of the bad scheduling.
The Boss and Work Buddy
Elcar played Peter Thornton, MacGyver’s boss and best friend at work. Initially, he appeared in the pilot episode in a completely different role. He played Andy Colson in the very first show but was switched after producers realized he’d make a great Peter. The men worked together at the Department of External Services.
In 1991 he developed glaucoma, and producers decided to work it into the show. The condition was written into the episode titled “Blind Faith.” Elcar played a couple of blind characters after the condition worsened, including a role on The Magic School Bus, and the role of Vladimir in Waiting for Godot. In 2005, the 77-year-old developed a bad case of pneumonia and passed away in the hospital.
The Best Friend
Jack Dalton, aviator and best friend to MacGyver on the show, was played by Bruce McGill. The ladies’ man used to give his phone number as JOATMON (562-8666,) which stood for: jack of all trades, master of none. Dalton was the funny guy who’d pop up whenever his buddy was in a situation that needed to be lightened up a bit.
He wasn’t necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed, and he always seemed to be caught up in some type of scheme. Nonetheless, MacGyver appreciated him, and so did the viewers! In 2017, he appeared in the remake of MacGyver, as Detective Greer.
Single Style
It would seem as though MacGyver was basically destined to live the life of a bachelor. After all, he would have to find the perfect woman for him if she were to be traveling around the world risking her life and nearly getting killed every day. Still, that didn’t mean he didn’t try the relationship thing.
In fact, he tried several times! There was the fling he had with Nikki Carpenter from the Phoenix Foundation, but it was quickly written out, as fans didn’t seem to care about him finding love, they just wanted to see the action. If any relationships on the show may have worked out, it would have most likely been between Carpenter, who was played by Elyssa Davalos. She lived a similar lifestyle but wanted to get away from it after her husband was killed. So the meant MacGyver wouldn't be any better for her, so she ended things with him.
Next in Line
Aside from the sultry Phoenix Federation operative, Nikki Carpenter, there were a few other women who came along that seemed as though they may try and make an honest man out of MacGyver. Like the blonde Maria Romberg who was played by Brigitta Stenberg. Unfortunately, Stenberg ended up receiving angry letters from female fans who didn’t want her with their beloved heart-throb.
The actress eventually decided to step back from the show altogether. Anytime writers attempted to show the hero some love, fans were on the phone and writing complaint letters. They made it absolutely clear that they wanted MacGyver to be single.
Before Becoming a Desperate Housewife
You must likely recognize Teri Hatcher from her role as Susan Mayer on the hit show Desperate Housewives. She once had a six-episode role on MacGyver.
She played Penny Parker, a jewel smuggler that runs into Anderson’s character on a job at an airport in Bulgaria. She tries to make him a mule, and plant some of the stolen goods in his pocket for transport. Her character appears on sporadic episodes in season one, two, four, and five.
Star Trek
George Takei is famous for playing the role of Hikaru Sulu or simply “Sulu,” helmsman of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek. Before he became so popular, he had a smaller role: you guessed it – on MacGyver.
Takei appeared in an episode in 1986, titled “The Wish Child,” on which he portrays a young boy who’s being falsely promoted as some type of mystical guru. Anderson comes to his rescue and saves him from the scammers who are using him for profit.
MacGyver Prefers Blades to Guns
MacGyver is in deadly situations in pretty much every episode of the show, so naturally, the National Rifle Association (NRA) probably thought it was a great opportunity for them to promote just how useful guns can be. Unfortunately for them, the hero never really uses them. Why? Because MacGyverust didn’t like using guns at all and got by just fine with his multipurpose Swiss-army knife.
It got to the point where the NRA believed the show was purposely trying to make them (guns) less-than-desirable. In turn, the NRA launched a counterattack, encouraging supporters to boycott the show entirely.
His First Name Was Changed
Have you ever even heard MacGyver referred to by his first name? Probably not, considering he was always called “Mac,” or “MacGyver” on the show. But in one of the first press releases when the series came out, it revealed his first name to be Stacey. But since no one ever talked about it on the show, it never really stuck.
Then, finally, in the last season of the show, when everything appears to be falling apart, something incredible happens. Mac is knocked out cold and hallucinating in his unconscious when it is revealed that his first name is “Angus.” On the series finale, the name is repeated, and it is made known that Mac’s son’s middle name is now Angus. The name is also printed on the MacGyver DVD set.
MacGyver to Blame for Bomb Making?
At the shows prime, there weren’t many shows like it. None that seemed to instruct people on how to make their own contraptions with things you could find lying around the house. That’s likely why, when two teenage boys made a bomb in their garage that exploded and killed one of them, they blamed the show.
Anyone who actually watches the show knows that they don’t show things that you can really make – especially not ones that could potentially hurt or kill someone. Luckily the story was dismissed, as they were unable to prove they’d seen any kind of instructions for building bombs.
Bringing it Back
In 2016, the MacGyver reboot was introduced on CBS. This time, Lucas Till stars as the thrifty badass hero that everyone knows and loves. While there have been some changes and updates made, a lot of the reboot follows along brilliantly with the original.
Angus MacGyver, in the reboot, is the same Swiss-army knife loving, Phoenix Federation operative that likes hand-to-hand combat and non-lethal methods of taking down enemies. George Eads plays Mac’s partner and Delta Force operator, Jack Dalton. Dalton, unlike Mac, sees no issue in using guns of all types.
Reverse Gender Casting
In the original series, Pete Thornton is played by actor Dana Elcar. Thornton was Mac’s manly-man friend and boss at the Department of External Services. However, considering how these days, many more women have assumed powerful roles within the government, they changed “Pete” to Patricia Thornton and cast actress Sandrine Holt in the role of boss-lady, even when DXS switched over to the Phoenix Federation.
But in the reboot, Patricia wasn’t a very good character. She was discovered for her dirty work and replaced by Matilda Webber. Holt was only a part of the show for its first season. It is nice that the creators of the reboot have chosen to keep up with the times and keep things more realistic by making sure there were some women running things within these agencies.
Anderson V. Mac
Dean Anderson had a lot more in common with MacGyver than you may be aware of. For starters, Anderson feels the same way about guns as his on-screen persona. He’s been very vocal about being anti-gun, which is the same way Mac is when he’s given the opportunity to discuss the topic.
Another thing Angus MacGyver and Dean Anderson share is their birthday! In the episode titled “Every Time, She Smiles,” Mac’s passport can be seen displayed as the 23rd of January. And in fact, January 23rd is the day Anderson himself was born.
Ripping Off a Major Film
In the third episode of the first season of MacGyver, titled, “The Thief of Budapest,” there’s a car chase scene shown, which raised some eyebrows after the initial airing because fans immediately recognized it.
The chase scene that was flagged as being stolen – and it was. But the show didn’t just steal any old car scene, no, they chose to just replay the famous scene from the 1969 film, The Italian Job. Did they really think no one was going to notice or say anything about that?
Differences in the Music
With episodes playing in France, German, and elsewhere in the world, it’s possible that Richard Dean Anderson is a household name on several continents. In Brazil, where MacGyver also airs, viewers have a bit of a different experience than those in the U.S.
On the Brazilian version of the show, the intro/theme song plays as Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.” That’s not the original song created for the show, which was written by Randy Edelman. In fact, Edelman’s version was hailed as being extremely catchy, so it’s a wonder anyone would change it. The original had no words and was solely instrumental, so it’s a mystery why in Brazil, they thought the rock song was more fitting.
Murdoc’s Script
On the show, Murdoc was MacGyver’s sworn enemy who was always bent on killing him – in pretty much every episode. Played by Michael Des Barres, Murdoc is a skilled assassin with the Homicide International Trust (HIT.), unfortunately for him, MacGyver always outsmarts and, well, MacGyver’s his way out of every situation they land in together.
When Murdoc first appears on the show, it’s because he’s been hired by someone to kill MacGyver. For a while, he is simply referred to as “Suspect 218.” After a few more run-ins with MacGyver, it becomes personal for Murdoc.
The Real MacGyver
The show’s creator, Lee David Zlotoff, knew he wanted the star of the show to be resourceful and armed in non-lethal ways. But he still had some work to do in building the character’s personality. Luckily, he stumbled upon a gemologist at Caltech named John Koivula.
Koivula had an array of scientific knowledge, ranging from physics to chemistry – and Zlotoff was impressed. He hired Koivula as the man behind the MacGyverisms. Each time the writers created a problem for Mac to solve, Koivula was the one who invented the way to make it happen.
The Golden Arch’s Influence on the Show
Long before the (sort of) recent revelation of Mac’s first name being “Angus,” it was set to be something much different. Zlotoff knew he wanted the character to have a “manly” sounding name. Originally, he was going to use the name “Guy.” But while bouncing ideas around with others who were involved with the show, someone suggested he toss in a “Mac,” as a nod to the fast-food giant.
At that point, Zlotoff decided to tie together “Guy” and “Mac” into the last name that everyone knows and loves. Later, the discussions of the first name began again, which is likely when the original name shown on the press release, Stacey, came up. Finally, it was decided that the character’s name would be Angus MacGyver.
The Show’s Influence on the World
MacGyver has had an impact that spans across multiple generations. Sure, the show only aired during the ’70s and ’80s, but reruns and the reboot continue to breathe new life into the franchise right on into the 2020s. Perhaps Mac’s love of non-lethal weapons, along with his dislike for guns, will continue to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
There were, however, two occasions when he had to use a gun to get out of the situation that he was in. One of those times, however, he dismantled the gun to create a hand wrench.
MacGyver on Ice
No, unfortunately, there isn’t an ice show currently in the works for this franchise, although that would definitely be entertaining. Richard Dean Anderson, however, has a huge connection to the ice. When he was a child, he absolutely loved ice Hockey.
Anderson’s love of the sport can be seen sprinkled throughout the series. For starters, Mac was raised in Minnesota, the state of ice hockey. You can catch him in jerseys of his favorite players in different episodes, like in the one titled “thin ice” where Mac heads back home to help his high school hockey team make it to the state championships while dealing with a star player that has some violent tendencies.
Making Something Out of Nothing
Mac can literally take a string and a paperclip and create something that can save him and an entire school bus full of children from a homicidal maniac. That’s probably why he always carries a few must-have items with him. You’ll never catch Mac without his Swiss army knife, paper clip, chewing gum, an ID card, and his trusty roll of duct tape.
He used to flatten the roll of tape out to carry it with him. Apparently, Mac hadn’t thought of the duct tape wallet yet, which would have made things easier on him (and held his ID card.) In episode 17 of season one, “To be a Man,” Mac, stranded on top of a mountain, dismantles a satellite and uses pieces of it, along with a plastic shield, to create a hang glider. A few episodes later, he uses newspaper, a soccer ball, cotton, and kerosene to fashion a hot air balloon and bust a falsely accused missionary out of the slammer.
Same Old Differences
Peter M. Lenkov is the creator of the reboot of the MacGyver series that debuted in 2016. The show, which is currently filmed in Atlanta, follows along with a lot of the same storylines and plots, but also separates itself from the original. Lucas Till hadn’t even been born with the first show was on the air, though he seeks to do its creator and stars justice. And so far, it’s been pretty well-received.
George Eads played Mac’s best friend, Jack Dalton, in the first few seasons of the reboot. Unfortunately for Mac, he left for the show’s third season, which means his buddy will have to find his own way out of each deadly situation. Apparently, there was a dispute about his salary.
MacGruber
MacGruber was originally a recurring sketch on NBC’s prime time comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Will Forte stars as MacGruber, a parody version of MacGyver. In 2010, they decided to turn the sketch into a film – and the 2010 comedy, MacGruber, was born. The guys from The Lonely Island (the parody band) directed the film, which stars Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillipe, Val Kilmer, and Maya Rudolph.
In the film, former military badass MacGruber is sought out to aid the military in stopping the detonation of an enemy nuclear warhead. Initially, MacGruber tells the military he’s not doing it, but once he remembers the man behind the missile is responsible for killing someone he loved, he accepts. Action and comedy ensue as MacGruber, joined by his hilarious team, works to retrieve the warhead.
“Out There” Inventions
Most of the time, Mac’s inventions are something wildly absurd that no one in a million years would actually try under normal circumstances. Take “Deathlock,” the 10th episode in season one. Mac finds himself being kept in a booby-trapped home by a crazed maniac. Mac grabs a serving cart, suit of armor, batteries, a rubber band, and an electric mixer, and creates a motorized heat-seeking decoy. Pretty “out there,” right?
Sometimes, however, Mac uses items that people may actually have lying around their house to make his contraptions. In “Gold Rush,” season four, Mac is trapped in a plane that’s been swallowed whole by an avalanche. He uses a sleeping bag, oxygen tank and a bucket full of Russian vodka to create an explosion that gets him out from under the snow and ice.
Rocket Power
Mac may like using non-lethal methods of whoop-ass on his opponents, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t pull out the “big guns,” so to speak, every now and then. Take for instance the few times he’s worked with missiles. In the episode titled “The Prodigal” in season one, Mac uses a rope and pulley, telescope, mothballs and cleaning fluid that he finds in an attic to create a rocket-powered harpoon zip line.
He fires the harpoon at a tree outside and is able to make his escape. But of course, the action didn’t stop there, because he first had to zip over a yard full of attack dogs before landing in safety.
Acid Launching Catapult
MacGyver prides himself on making use of any and all resources, sometimes, those resources include living, breathing beings. In Season seven, episode five, Mac and his buddy use mind control on a dog to convince him to carry over a bottle of sulfuric acid that they use to burn rope restraints that are holding them hostage.
When they’ve gotten free of the ropes, they take the good dog and bust out of the warehouse the enemies were keeping them in. Reviews from this particular episode include being compared to a stunt that would be seen on MacGruber.
Hang Glider
There are a few episodes of the show on which Mac finds himself stuck at high altitudes with no way to escape. During the show where he must create a hang glider to get off of the mountain, that’s not the only thing he’s dealing with at the time. Not only is he being chased by enemy forces, but before he can fashion his hang glider, he must disarm a bomb – one that’s set to go off in his face in less than 30 seconds.
Just as the enemies ride upon their horses, Mac has disabled the bomb and put together a hang glider that he uses to escape from the area. But no one ever doubted that he would, did we?
Three for the Road
On episode 10 of season two, Mac is waiting to meet a contact in a small, rural desert town. Before he can speak to him, however, the contact is shot, and Mac is left stranded. He’s picked up by an elderly couple who are driving a car full of stolen counterfeit money.
When the mobsters who want their money back hunt them down and pursue them on the road, Mac must create a contraption to get them off their tail. He uses different parts of the car to create a bazooka, which he uses to fire a gear shift knob at their vehicle, which stops them and allows Mac and the couple to safely escape.
Lie Detector Test
In the episode titled “Slow Death,” near the end of season one, finds himself on a hijacked train full of both innocent and guilty individuals. After the first few methods of locating the criminals fails, Mac creates a makeshift polygraph test, using an alarm clock, blood pressure pump, and stethoscope.
The criminals are brought to justice and are even spared by their tribal leader thanks to Mac’s recommendation. “He has a right, but he’s wrong,” is one of the most famous quotes pulled from that particular episode. Up next: Mac versus mini Monsanto.
Bitter Harvest
In the ninth episode of season six, Mac goes up against farmers using deadly pesticides on their vegetables. In probably the most depressing part of the episode, Mac gets his butt kicked by one of the contractors on the property. Luckily, he’s able to turn things around (of course.)
When no one will fess up to spraying the crops with the poison, Mac creates a pesticide test using sunglasses, nail polish remover, and a lamp. The device is a makeshift spectroscope that he then uses to test the dirt. Up next: Remote-triggered heart attacks? Only on MacGyver.
The Enemy Within
In the 15th episode of the first season, a few famous McGeyverisms were born. For one, the famous move where he hangs out of a moving car by one foot. It was also in the episode where he created a makeshift defibrillator to save his friend. The unfortunate guy had been implanted with a device that caused him to have a heart attack from the push of a remote button.
To make the device, Mac used a few candlesticks, a rubber mat, and the cord of a microphone. If only someone’s life could really be saved using a bunch of random things you can find lying around any given room.
DIY Jetpack
The series finale was titled “The Stringer.” It followed Mac as he takes down a shady Chinese import company. In it, Mac and his son, Pete, wind up literally riding off into the sunset together. But before you get there, you see Mac make one last epic contraption. When he and Pete end up trapped under the deck of a sinking ship, Mac has to think quickly before the father and son duo are swallowed by the sea.
By attaching seatbelts to a power washer, Mac was able to fashion some jetpacks that enabled them to get out of there. At the end of The Stringer, before they ride away for the happily ever after, Mac also gives his son his beloved Swiss army knife.
Making a Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons work on literally that – hot air. The air inside of the balloon is heated to a point it’s much warmer than all that surrounds it. This causes the balloon to float like it’s a boat bobbing through the water.
When Mac finds himself trapped in the Alps, he didn’t panic. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d been stranded at the top of a mountain with (seemingly) no way to escape before his imminent death at the hands of the bad guys. In this episode, he makes a hot air balloon out of scrap materials, in the middle of a gunfight. Of course, everything works out just fine and he’s able to evade the villains in his awesome DIY ride.
The Catapult
In an episode titled “The Road Not Taken,” MacGyver is called upon to come to the rescue of a few nuns and an orphanage full of children who are being hunted by maniacal soldiers in Asia. One of the nuns who’s in trouble just happens to be an ex-girlfriend of Macs.
Luckily, God was on their side, or so it seemed since Mac somehow managed to create a time-release catapult. The contraption was formed with rocks, branches, a bit of twine, and, get this: rosary beads. It’s no wonder it worked miracles!
The Snowblower
In episode 14 of season four, Mac’s somewhere in the Arctic Circle, on the hunt a missing 100 million in Russian gold. The gold is believed to be in a plane from WWII that’s crashed in the area. When an avalanche strikes as he and the others on board are buried underneath the snow and ice.
Of course, Mac was never worried about the situation, especially when he learned about all of the great stuff on the plane that he had to work with to get them out of there. There was a literal bucket of Russian vodka, along with an oxygen tank that he wrapped in a sleeping bag and stuck in the vodka like a giant Molotov cocktail.
The Booby-Trapped House
In the tenth episode of season one, Mac finds himself stuck in the house of a crazed British madman named Quayle who’s got the place rigged for death. The villain has all sorts of high-tech equipment, and he’s bent on ending MacGyver’s life. “MacGyver is the only blemish on my records, gentleman,” said Quayle.
Eventually, Mac is able to get away from the would-be killer by creating a heat-seeking gun decoy using a serving cart, rubber band, electric mixer, and part of a suit of armor. That was definitely one of the more memorable inventions on the show.
There but For The Grace
During this episode in season six, Mac goes undercover as a homeless man on the streets. He seeks answers and revenge after a priest friend of his is mugged and dies in the hospital afterward.
He befriends a mute named Danny, who he believes was a witness to the crime. Some have called this episode one of the slowest of the entire series, but it does have some okay scenes. Take for instance the toilet-bowl bomb Mac has to build to get himself out of that one.
The Keg Torpedo
Leave it to MacGyver to think of a way to build a torpedo out of a pipe, a trash can, nylon strap, crate, matches, whiskey, and a keg full of beer. Of course, in episode 11 of season seven, Mac just happened to be trapped in a brewery.
MacGyver saves the day when rival gangs go to have a shootout showdown. Mac lights the crate on fire after soaking it in alcohol, shooting the keg like a cannon straight through the door of the locked warehouse. “Put the damn guns down and think!” In the end, the Gunman is brought to justice and all of the kids that almost got wrapped up in gang violence are okay.
The Mullet
Ah, the mullet. One of the most popular hairstyles of the 1980’s. Perhaps thanks in large part to shows like MacGyver, who made it look desirable. Not to mention all of the celebrities who rocked it in their day-to-day life, like Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze.
But no matter how “hot” the style may have been in its day, the stylists on the new show decided to give Angus a new do. Rather than having a full-on mullet, Lucas Till’s character has a long, shaggy cut instead. When asked about the updated look, Till told Entertainment Tonight that it, “doesn’t look as stupid.”
Keeping It Real
Till has admitted that not every single stunt on the show is his, although many of them are. In fact, in an interview with Parade he said, “I was surprised with how much they let me do.”
Anderson liked to do all of his own stunts, too, and he did – or at least, he did as many as he could get away with, just like Till. But unlike Till, Anderson was dealing with the injuries from his past that prevented him from taking too much physical work on at once.
Science Stuff
Lucas Till actually has some experience in dealing with the scientific knowledge he’d have to pretend to have on the show. In his first major role in film, he played the brother of Johnny Cash on Walk the Line. Afterward, he did a string of indie and Lifetime movies before he landed a role in Hannah Montana: The Movie.
Till appeared in The Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan in 2010 – not bad, considering he’d only graduated high school two years before. From there, it was all uphill for the actor, who continued to land role after role, until finally, he secured the title role in the reboot in 2016.
Brotherly Love
Mac couldn’t have gotten out of half of the situations he’s been in had it not been for Jack Dalton (George Eads) having his back. When asked about how he felt about taking over the role of Richard Dean Anderson, Till said, “I didn’t allow myself to think about it. But I take into consideration everything that people want from MacGyver. He’s a cool dude.”
The chemistry the actors share definitely shows through on screen. Unfortunately, Eads left the show in the third season.
Love Life
As far as his love life goes, well, it’s fairly nonexistent, as Lucas spends most of his waking hours on set, after all. However, one of his exes happneds to be one of the most popular women in show business, Taylor Swift. They split when they decided they were better off as friends.
Till has dated some other gorgeous ladies in Tinsel Town, like Carlson Young, Miley Cyrus, and Kayslee Collins. Not too bad if you ask us.
Saying Goodbye to George Eads
Before Eads landed the role of Mac’s best friend, he was playing investigator Nick Stokes on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS. When the show was wrapping its final season, Eads made the announcement that he wouldn’t be returning for the next.
But as it turns out, they didn’t renew for another season. He did, however, miss out on filming the TV movie/series finale: Immortality.