Richard Dean Anderson as Angus MacGyver, a secret agent who prefers not to carry or use a firearm, due to a childhood accident with a revolver that resulted in the death of a friend.[6] However, MacGyver is willing to use an acquired gun, its parts, or its bullets in non-standard ways, such as a substitute for a wrench. There are three exceptions when he uses a gun for its original intended purpose: in the pilot episode, MacGyver is seen firing an AK-47 on a mission in the opening gambit (7:51 into the episode); he holds two kidnappers at gunpoint in the opening scene of episode 10, season one;[7] and, is seen using a gun in the TV movie Trail to Doomsday. He is often suspicious of militaristic attitudes within the government; he sees the Los Angeles-based Phoenix Foundation, his employer, as an alternative to more conventional (and violent) means of law enforcement.[8] Dana Elcar as Pete Thornton, MacGyver's boss and best friend.