Elyssa Davalos (born May 30, 1959, in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California) is a former American television and movie actress. Her father was actor Richard Davalos and her sister is musician Dominique Davalos.^[1] She is the mother of actress Alexa Davalos, from her marriage to photographer Jeff Dunas.^[2][3] She is of Spanish and Finnish descent on her father's side.^[4]

She would usually play tough, independent women. She's mostly remembered for her recurring role as Richard Dean Anderson's love interest Nikki Carpenter on the original MacGyver. She appeared in two Disney films that were part of a franchise: The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again and Herbie Goes Bananas. On television she played Hillary Gant on the series How The West Was Won and she appeared on a final season episode of Hawaii Five-0, and starred in the TV-movie Good Against Evil.