The Man Behind MacGyver

MacGyver.

How can he not be a WonderHowTo hero?

The ultra resourceful secret agent, always handy with his Swiss army knife, is inspiration to all tinkerers, hackers, and DIYers across the world. But who's the real man behind MacGyver?

Lifehacker recently interviewed the man behind the myth, creator Lee David Zlotoff.

Says Zlotoff,

"My dad was sort of the model for MacGyver. He was, by profession, a New York City junior high shop teacher. But he could fix anything, build anything, he was kind of an amateur architect ... plumbing, electrical, wood, metal. You name it, he could do it.

I don't pretend to be quite that good, but that's kind of where I got it from. So, yeah, I build things, and I fix things, and I make things. I like working with my hands. Particularly, in the entertainment business, which is kind of cerebral in terms of writing, or producing, or directing—it's kind of nice to be able to actually make something on your own."

Click through to LifeHacker to read the complete interview.