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Merlin Olsen
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).
BODY OF WORK
Merlin Olsen's Filmography
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Time Bomb
as Jake Calahan
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
as Todd Simms
A Fire in the Sky
as Stan Webster
Mitchell
as Benton
Something Big
as Sgt. Fitzsimmons
One More Train to Rob
as Eli Jones
The Undefeated
as Little George