Moved from California to Oregon with his family when he was a teenager

Worked for a construction firm while studying acting in Los Angeles

Signed contract with 20th Century-Fox

Made film debut in bit role of 2nd card player in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; future wife Katharine Ross was the female lead; Elliott saw her around the lot a few times, but the two never met

Appeared in episodes of CBS series "Lancer"

TV-movie debut, "The Challenge" (ABC)

Was series regular on "Mission: Impossible" (CBS), playing the role of Dr Doug Lang

First feature lead, "Frogs"

Played Detective Charlie Bronski in "The Blue Knight" (adapted from the Joseph Wambaugh novel), an acclaimed NBC miniseries starring William Holden

Pursued the Nez Pearce Indians as they tried to flee to Canada in "I Will Fight No More Forever" (ABC)

Portrayed Sam Damon on the seven-part NBC miniseries "Once an Eagle"

Made breakthrough feature film, playing the title role in "Lifeguard"

Starred with Tom Selleck in NBC miniseries "Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts", first of four TV projects (to date) based on the work of the great Western writer

Began relationship with Ross during the making of the goofy-gothic mystery "The Legacy"

First of five TV projects through 1991 with soon-to-be-spouse Ross, the CBS miniseries "Murder in Texas"

Reteamed with Selleck on "Louis L'Amour's The Shadow Riders" (CBS)

Acted opposite Cybill Shephard on NBC primetime serial "The Yellow Rose"

First feature film in six years, "Mask"

Acted opposite Kate Capshaw in "The Quick and the Dead", an HBO movie adapted from L'Amour

Fought drugs and corruption as a NYC undercover cop in "Shakedown"

Essayed a tough, no-nonsense, single father and farmer in John D Hancock's heart-warming "Prancer"

Played a man who suffered a heart attack and died following a mad, pasionate afternoon of carnality with Kirstie Alley in Carl Reiner's feature comedy "Sibling Rivalry"

Cast as a detective keeping tabs on his undercover narcs Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Rush"

First film as executive producer and first screenwriting credit (shared with Jeffrey M Meyer and wife Katharine Ross, who also co-starred), "Conagher" (adapted from L'Amour), a made-for-cable project aired on TNT; also played title role; picture was one of the highest-rated originals ever to air on TNT; fifth and last TV-movie (to date) with Ross

Distinguished himself as Brigadier General John Buford, one of the unsung heroes of "Gettysburg", a TNT original given a feature release

Acted the part of Virgil Earp in "Tombstone"

Was a hard-drinking cop in "Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert", an NBC movie written and executive produced by Wambaugh

Headlined surprisingly good straight-to-video Western, "The Desperate Trail"

Starred in "The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky", an ABC movie directed by John Kent Harrison

Gave an unflinching portrayal as Wild Bill Hickock in "Buffalo Girls", a CBS miniseries version of the Larry McMurtry novel; earned Emmy nomination

Portrayed Captain Bucky O'Neill in TNT's "Rough Riders", helmed by John Milius

Played villainous Jim Ed Love to Woody Harrelson's heroic Big Boy Matson in Stephen Frears' "The Hi-Lo Country"

Appeared as the stranger in the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski"

Executive produced and starred as legendary lawman Bill Tilghman in TNT's "You Know My Name"; reteamed with director John Kent Harrison

Earned critical acclaim for playing a presidential chief of staff in "The Contender"

Cast as a grizzled veteran sergeant major in "We Were Soldiers"

Appeared in the Ang Lee-directed "The Hulk"

Starred with Joan Allen in "Off the Map" directed by Campbell Scott

Co-starred with Aaron Eckhart in the satirical comedy "Thank You for Smoking" directed by Jason Reitman

Co-starred with Nicholas Cage in the Marvel Comics-inspired "Ghost Rider"