During his teenage years he was part of a band, quitting high school in his final year to pursue this dream of becoming a rock star. At 19 however he realised this wouldn't happen and returned to finish high school.

After graduating high school, Smith attended the Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, auditioning for the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Ontario and was accepted as a member of its Young Company.

Subsequently moving to Los Angeles he took the stage name of David James Elliott having found there was already an actor named David Smith. He appeared in the film Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986, and subsequently in the 1989 television series Knots Landing as Bill Nolan, and in 1993's The Untouchables as Agent Paul Robbins. The following year Elliott landed a recurring role on the hit series Melrose Place, playing "Terry Parsons", and a guest appearance in an episode of Seinfeld as an anti-abortion furniture mover.

He is married to Canadian-born actress Nanci Chambers, born Nancy Chambers on October 1, 1963 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, who also appeared in JAG as the evil "Lt. Loren Singer", and with whom he has a daughter, Stephanie (born 1993), and a son, Wyatt (born 2003).

David and Nanci both became U.S. citizens a few years ago, while both of their children were born in the States - Stephanie in Chicago while David was working on "The Untouchables", and Wyatt in LA during JAG's eighth season.

He recently starred in a Canadian television movie called "The Man Who Lost Himself", which was based on the true story of a Canadian football player who was in a car accident and lost his memory due to severe head injuries. Nanci Chambers also appeared in this movie as a doctor.