Merlin Olsen
Actor
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).
Born1940-09-15
Place of BirthLogan, Utah, USA
Known For
8.0
Little House on the Prairie
WesternDrama
5.9
Petticoat Junction
ComedyFamily
Monday Night Football
6.4
Shindig!
Reality
8.1
Father Murphy
WesternDrama
6.3
The Brian Keith Show
Comedy
7.0
Aaron's Way
Drama
6.3
The Undefeated
Western
5.4
Something Big
WesternComedy
5.4
One More Train to Rob
WesternComedy
8.3
Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure
Documentary
3.3
Mitchell
CrimeDrama
5.8
A Fire in the Sky
DramaSci-Fi
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
DramaTV Movie
7.5
Fathers and Sons
Comedy
7.7
Kung Fu
Action & AdventureDrama
6.3
Time Bomb
TV MovieThriller