Role Actor | Name James Olson Years active 1952–1990 | |
 | ||
Movies Similar People Mark L Lester, Robert Wise, Damiano Damiani, Bill Duke, Tommy Lee Wallace | ||
James Olson (born October 8, 1930) is an American actor.
Contents
Life and career
Olson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Northwestern University. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before his 1956 film debut in The Sharkfighters. He starred alongside Joanne Woodward in Academy Award-nominated best picture Rachel, Rachel in 1966. Olson made numerous stage, feature film and TV appearances from the mid-1950s until the early 1990s.
Olson's television appearances include guest roles on scores of shows, including episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, Murder, She Wrote, Little House on the Prairie, Hawaii Five-O, Battlestar Galactica, Lou Grant, The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, Mannix, Bonanza, Have Gun-Will Travel, Marcus Welby, M.D., Police Woman, Barnaby Jones, The New Land, and Maude.
Filmography
Actor
1990
Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) as
Clarence La Rue
- A Body to Die For (1990) - Clarence La Rue
1990
The Family Man (TV Series) as
Blair
- Fire Break (1990) - Blair
1988
Jake and the Fatman (TV Series) as
Dr. Robert P. Byers
- It Had to Be You (1988) - Dr. Robert P. Byers
1987
Rachel River as
Jack Canon
1986
One Police Plaza (TV Movie) as
Whitney Zangline
1985
North Beach and Rawhide (TV Movie) as
Bill Cassidy
1985
Commando as
Major General Franklin Kirby
1984
Matt Houston (TV Series) as
Calib Martin
- Vanished (1984) - Calib Martin
1984
The Parade (TV Movie) as
Andy Janacek
1983
Cave in! (TV Movie) as
Tom Arlen
1982
Amityville II: The Possession as
Father Adamsky
1981
Ragtime as
Father
1980
The Yeagers (TV Series)
- The Neighbors (1980)
1980
The Silent Lovers (TV Movie) as
Victor Seastrom
1972
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) as
Dr. Kenneth Ames / Wendell Stoner / Travis Marshall / ...
- Labyrinth (1979) - Dr. Kenneth Ames
- A Distant Thunder (1978) - Wendell Stoner
- Honor Is an Unmarked Grave (1975) - Travis Marshall
- A Hawaiian Nightmare (1974) - Bernie Brown
- Bait Once, Bait Twice (1972) - Bart Mariss
1979
Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) as
Reverend Jacob Danforth
- The Faith Healer (1979) - Reverend Jacob Danforth
1979
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (TV Series) as
Paul Vane
- Run for the Money: Part 3 (1979) - Paul Vane
- Run for the Money: Part 2 (1979) - Paul Vane
1979
B.J. and the Bear (TV Series) as
Paul Vane
- Run for the Money (1979) - Paul Vane
1978
Project U.F.O. (TV Series) as
Dr. Ted Sanders
- Sighting 4020: The Island Incident (1978) - Dr. Ted Sanders
1978
Greatest Heroes of the Bible (TV Series) as
Polah
- Samson and Delilah (1978) - Polah
1978
Battlestar Galactica (TV Series) as
Thane
- Gun on Ice Planet Zero: Part II (1978) - Thane
- Gun on Ice Planet Zero (1978) - Thane
1978
The Runaways (TV Series) as
Burt Williams
- No Prince for My Cinderella (1978) - Burt Williams
1978
The Mafu Cage as
David
1978
Lou Grant (TV Series) as
Archer Corwin
- Scandal (1978) - Archer Corwin
1977
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (TV Movie) as
Gen. George Armstrong Custer
1977
The Bionic Woman (TV Series) as
Rod Kyler
- Fembots in Las Vegas: Part 2 (1977) - Rod Kyler
- Fembots in Las Vegas (1977) - Rod Kyler
1977
The Spell (TV Movie) as
Glenn
1977
Most Wanted (TV Series) as
John Ryerson
- The Ritual Killer (1977) - John Ryerson
1977
Wonder Woman (TV Series) as
Wotan
- Last of the $2 Bills (1977) - Wotan
1976
Police Woman (TV Series) as
Curry
- Brainwash (1976) - Curry
1972
The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series) as
Vic Lawson / Dr. Jonas Rabb / Loren Graham
- No Minor Vices (1976) - Vic Lawson
- Asylum (1975) - Dr. Jonas Rabb
- The First Day of Forever (1972) - Loren Graham
1973
Barnaby Jones (TV Series) as
Walter Cahill / Tom Brenner / Randall Stone
- Blood Vengeance (1976) - Walter Cahill / Tom Brenner
- Catch Me If You Can (1973) - Randall Stone
1976
Law and Order (TV Movie) as
Insp. Ed Shea
1973
McMillan & Wife (TV Series) as
Mr. Townsend / W.T. Knox
- Secrets for Sale (1975) - Mr. Townsend
- Freefall to Terror (1973) - W.T. Knox
1972
Cannon (TV Series) as
Judge Norman Killian / Jim Relko
- The Wedding March (1975) - Judge Norman Killian
- The Island Caper (1972) - Jim Relko
1975
Maude (TV Series) as
Sen. Bob Myers
- The Election (1975) - Sen. Bob Myers
- Maude's Big Decision (1975) - Sen. Bob Myers
- Rumpus in the Rumpus Room (1975) - Sen. Bob Myers
1975
Strange New World (TV Movie) as
Surgeon
1975
Caribe (TV Series) as
Matson
- One Second to Doom (1975) - Matson
1975
Someone I Touched (TV Movie) as
Sam Hyatt
1975
The Family Nobody Wanted (TV Movie) as
Carl Doss
1974
The Missiles of October (TV Movie) as
McGeorge Bundy - Special Assistant for National Security Affairs
1974
Harry O (TV Series) as
Capt. Pete Jaklin
- Material Witness (1974) - Capt. Pete Jaklin
1974
Kung Fu (TV Series) as
Damion
- The Garments of Rage (1974) - Damion
1969
Mannix (TV Series) as
George Lassiter / Donald Jordan
- Game Plan (1974) - George Lassiter
- Odds Against Donald Jordan (1969) - Donald Jordan
1974
Movin' On (TV Series) as
Ben Simms
- Grit (1974) - Ben Simms
1974
The Sex Symbol (TV Movie) as
Calvin Bernard
1974
The New Land (TV Series) as
Johansen
- The Word Is: Persistance (1974) - Johansen
1974
Man on the Outside (TV Movie)
1974
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (TV Movie) as
McShane
1974
Manhunter (TV Movie) as
Walt Hovis
1974
The Manhunter (TV Series)
- Pilot (1974)
1974
Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) as
George Baxter
- Angela's Nightmare (1974) - George Baxter
1970
The F.B.I. (TV Series) as
George Breen / Sheriff Bill Temple
- The Betrayal (1974)
- Escape to Terror (1970) - George Breen
- Conspiracy of Corruption (1970) - Sheriff Bill Temple
1973
Legend in Granite (TV Movie) as
Max McGee
1973
Police Story (TV Series) as
Sgt. Walters
- Man on a Rack (1973) - Sgt. Walters
1972
The Rookies (TV Series) as
Steve Wainz / Walter Bolton
- A Matter of Justice (1973) - Steve Wainz
- The Good Die Young (1972) - Walter Bolton
1971
Ironside (TV Series) as
David Wills / Marvin Bosner
- Fragile Is the House of Cards (1973) - David Wills
- Contract: Kill Ironside (1971) - Marvin Bosner
1973
Incident on a Dark Street (TV Movie) as
Joe Dubbs
1972
Jigsaw (TV Series) as
Dr. Leo Heller
- To Stalk the Night (1972) - Dr. Leo Heller
1969
Bonanza (TV Series) as
Vance / Kelly Adams
- Ambush at Rio Lobo (1972) - Vance
- Sweet Annie Laurie (1969) - Kelly Adams
1972
Gunsmoke (TV Series) as
Bede Stalcup
- The Fugitives (1972) - Bede Stalcup
1972
Columbo (TV Series) as
Paul Rifkin
- Étude in Black (1972) - Paul Rifkin
1972
The Groundstar Conspiracy as
Sen. Stanton
1971
McCloud (TV Series) as
Thomas Dane
- The Disposal Man (1971) - Thomas Dane
1971
The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (TV Series) as
Cavan Searle
- The Letter of the Law (1971) - Cavan Searle
1971
Paper Man (TV Movie) as
Art Fletcher
1971
Wild Rovers as
Joe Billings
1971
The Andromeda Strain as
Dr. Mark Hall
1971
Insight (TV Series) as
Dr. Blake
- The War of the Eggs (1971) - Dr. Blake
1970
Medical Center (TV Series) as
Dave Toland
- Accused (1970) - Dave Toland
1970
San Francisco International Airport (TV Series) as
Professor Theodore Tragis
- Emergency Alert (1970) - Professor Theodore Tragis
1970
Crescendo as
Georges Ryman / Jacques Ryman
1969
Moon Zero Two as
Bill Kemp
1969
The Virginian (TV Series) as
Hosea McKinley
- The Land Dreamer (1969) - Hosea McKinley
1969
Lancer (TV Series) as
Alton Gannett
- Death Bait (1969) - Alton Gannett
1968
The Stalking Moon as
Cavalry Officer (uncredited)
1968
Rachel, Rachel as
Nick Kazlik
1967
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Chuck Williams
- Atta Girl, Kelly!: Love Is Blind (1967) - Chuck Williams
1966
The Three Sisters as
Tuzenbach, Nikolai Lvovich, Baron
1966
NET Playhouse (TV Series) as
Hovstad
- An Enemy of the People (1966) - Hovstad
1966
Directions (TV Series)
- The 11th Man (1966)
1965
The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series) as
Edward Curtis
- Where There's Smoke (1965) - Edward Curtis
1962
The Defenders (TV Series) as
Dr. Frank Spencer / Linus Hale
- Conspiracy of Silence (1963) - Dr. Frank Spencer
- Blood County (1962) - Linus Hale
1963
Route 66 (TV Series) as
Thad School
- What a Shining Young Man Was Our Gallant Lieutenant (1963) - Thad School
1961
Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) as
Allen Menkin / Sgt. Harold Welby
- Smash Up (1962) - Allen Menkin
- Moment of Panic (1961) - Sgt. Harold Welby
1961
Play of the Week (TV Series) as
Harry / Pete Hazelmae
- All Summer Long (1961) - Harry
- A Clearing in the Woods (1961) - Pete Hazelmae
1960
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as
Les Thorpe
- Tomorrow (1960) - Les Thorpe
1958
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) as
Owen Deaver
- The Five Books of Owen Deaver (1958) - Owen Deaver
1957
Harbourmaster (TV Series) as
Charlie Potter
- Widow's Walk (1957) - Charlie Potter
1957
The Strange One as
Roger Gatt
1956
Matinee Theatre (TV Series)
- Cold Christmas (1956)
1956
Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series) as
Capt. Dicer
- The Young and the Beautiful (1956) - Capt. Dicer
1956
The Sharkfighters as
Ens. Harold Duncan
1956
Kraft Theatre (TV Series)
- The Life of Mickey Mantle (1956)
Soundtrack
1972
Columbo (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Étude in Black (1972) - (performer: "Lover Man" - uncredited)
Self
1957
Look Up and Live (TV Series documentary)
- No Man Is an Island (1957)
Archive Footage
2016
O.J.: Made in America (Documentary) as
Father (uncredited)
2009
Ben Gazzara Remembers the Strange One (Video documentary short) as
Roger Gatt (uncredited)
References
James Olson (actor) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA