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Merlin Olsen

Merlin Olsen

Actor · 1940 – 2010 · Logan, Utah, USA

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).

Series10

  • TV8.0
  • TV5.9

    Petticoat Junction

    1963 · 42 votes

  • TV
  • TV6.4

    Shindig!

    1964 · 5 votes

  • TV8.1

    Father Murphy

    1981 · 8 votes

  • TV6.2

    The Brian Keith Show

    1972 · 4 votes

  • TV7.0

    Aaron's Way

    1988 · 2 votes

  • TV8.6
  • TV7.7

    Kung Fu

    1972 · 241 votes

  • TV7.5

    Fathers and Sons

    1986 · 2 votes

Movies7

  • Movie6.3

    The Undefeated

    1969 · 134 votes

  • Movie5.4

    Something Big

    1971 · 24 votes

  • Movie5.4

    One More Train to Rob

    1971 · 19 votes

  • Movie5.8

    A Fire in the Sky

    1978 · 15 votes

  • Movie
  • Movie3.3

    Mitchell

    1975 · 47 votes

  • Movie6.3

    Time Bomb

    1984 · 3 votes