Don Sinclair Davis (August 4, 1942 - June 29, 2008) was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.
He was perhaps best known for playing General George S. Hammond in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 (1997 – 2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on the television series Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991). In the TV show MacGyver, he was the stunt/photography double for Dana Elcar. He was often mistaken for Elcar, and vice-versa. Davis did appear in two episodes of MacGyver, as a different character each time. His first appearance was as a cement truck driver in the episode "Blow Out", and his second appearance was as the poacher Wyatt Porter in "The Endangered". He also played Scully's father in the series The X-Files. Canadian audiences may also be familiar with Davis thanks to his appearance in one of the famous Heritage Minutes, in which he played an arrogant American gold prospector who pulls a gun on Mountie Sam Steele. He also played the role of the Racine Belles' manager in the movie A League of Their Own.
Davis was born in Aurora, Missouri, a town in the Ozark Mountains. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in theater and art from Southwest Missouri State College. He received a master's degree in theatre from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1970. He taught for several years before returning to SIU to complete a Ph.D. in theatre. He began working in the film industry in the 1980s, while teaching at the University of British Columbia. In 1987 he stopped teaching in order to pursue acting full-time.
Not satisfied with just acting, he was also a visual artist, spending most of his free time painting or carving. Davis grew up painting, sculpting and drawing. He continued to pursue these crafts his entire life, supplementing his income with design commissions and art sales.
Davis died on June 29, 2008. The cause of death was reported to be a massive heart attack. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the Davis family requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association in his memory.
