Merlin Olsen
Born: 1940-09-15 in Logan, Utah, USA
Died: 2010-03-10
Known For: Acting
Biography
Merlin Jay Olsen (September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career (1962 - 1976), he was a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl a then-record 14 times (surpassed only by Tom Brady). He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. As an actor, Olsen is best known for portraying farmer Jonathan Garvey on the fourth through seventh seasons of Little House on the Prairie (1977 - 1981). He went on to star as the title character in the Western series Father Murphy (1981 - 1983).
Filmography
2022
- Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure as Self (archive footage)
1988
- Aaron's Way as Aaron Miller
1986
1984
- Time Bomb as Jake Calahan
1981
- Father Murphy as John Michael Murphy
1980
- The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story as Todd Simms
1978
- A Fire in the Sky as Stan Webster
1975
- Mitchell as Benton
1974
- Little House on the Prairie as Jonathan Garvey
1972
- The Brian Keith Show
- Kung Fu as Perlee Skowrin
1971
- Something Big as Sgt. Fitzsimmons
- One More Train to Rob as Eli Jones
1970
- Monday Night Football as Defensive Tackle
1969
- The Undefeated as Little George