A Growing Television Career
Elliott never stopped auditioning for movies and was able to land some supporting roles, but plenty of his roles in this period was in television shows. And with time, his roles got juicier, beginning with a 13-episode recurring part in Mission: Impossible. After that, he got his big break when he played the title role in the TV movie, Evel Knievel.
Between 1976 and 1977, Elliott was TV’s “It guy” and was already soaring in his early career. He played the lead character, Sam Damon, in the miniseries called ‘Once an Eagle.’ It was an adaptation of the Anton Myrer war novel. Sam got to star alongside actresses Amy Irving, Kim Hunter, and Melanie Griffith, among others.