- Lifelong friend of actor Jack Lemmon.
- Served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
- Was the first actor to play tough private eye "Mike Hammer" on screen, in Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury (1953).
- Changed his name from Leon Shalek to Biff Elliot, the 'Elliot' being the middle name of one of his two brothers.
- Was a boxer in his youth and became champion of North Maine, before training as an actor at New York's Actor's Studio.
- Initially studied journalism. Graduated from the University of Maine in 1949.
- Worked in radio sports broadcasting for CBS in Los Angeles, following his retirement from acting.
- Longstanding acting coach at the Film Industry Workshops.
- Member of the Screen Actor's Guild and The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
- Retired and living in Los Angeles, California. (May 2009)
- Was the only actor to play detective Mike Hammer in 3-D.
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