Known for

Acting

Born

Sep 15, 1940

Died

Mar 10, 2010 (aged 69)

Place of birth

Logan, Utah, USA

Merlin Olsen

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).

Titles

Little House on the Prairie

Series • 1974

Petticoat Junction

Series • 1963

Monday Night Football

Series • 1970

Shindig!

Series • 1964

Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure

Series • 2022

The Undefeated

Movie • 1969

Fathers and Sons

Series • 1986

A Fire in the Sky

Movie • 1978

Kung Fu

Series • 1972

Something Big

Movie • 1971

The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story

Movie • 1980

One More Train to Rob

Movie • 1971

Mitchell

Movie • 1975

Time Bomb

Movie • 1984