Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. In addition to his performance in the comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Gould is perhaps best known for his significant leading roles in Robert Altman films, starring in M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye and California Split. Other notable film roles include Little Murders, Capricorn One, The Silent Partner, Bugsy, and American History X.His first film released after Bob & Carol was the wartime satire M*A*S*H, directed by Robert Altman, where Gould played Trapper John McIntyre. It was a huge hit at the box officeand was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.His third film as star was 1970's Getting Straight, where he played a Vietnam veteran who gets involved in student protests. Not as popular as the other two movies, it was nonetheless still considered a success, the only student protest film to make money – and cem.