Merlin Olsen
ActingBiography
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).
Movies
(7 total)
The Undefeated
as Little George
Mitchell
as Benton
Something Big
as Sgt. Fitzsimmons
One More Train to Rob
as Eli Jones
A Fire in the Sky
as Stan Webster
Time Bomb
as Jake Calahan
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
as Todd Simms
TV Shows
(12 total)
Little House on the Prairie
as Jonathan Garvey
Kung Fu
as Perlee Skowrin
Father Murphy
as John Michael Murphy
Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure
as Self (archive footage)
Monday Night Football
as Defensive Tackle
Monday Night Football
as Left Defensive Tackle
Monday Night Football
as Defensive tackle