Actor
Merlin Olsen
Born September 15, 1940 in Logan, Utah, USADied March 10, 20107 films
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).
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The best way into Merlin Olsen's work
First watchThe Undefeated19696.3as Little GeorgeAfter the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are leading two disparate groups of people through strife-torn Mexico.View filmFilmography
7 films as actor- 1984Time BombJake Calahan
- 1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love StoryTodd Simms
- 1978A Fire in the SkyStan Webster
- 1975MitchellBenton
- 1971Something BigSgt. Fitzsimmons
- 1971One More Train to RobEli Jones
- 1969The UndefeatedLittle George