James Olson
Acting Born Oct 8, 1930 Died Apr 17, 2022 Evanston, Illinois, USA 82 credits
Biography
James Olson was an American actor who lived from October 8, 1930, until April 17, 2022. Between 1952 and 1954, he served as a military policeman in the United States Army. Before making his film debut in 1956 with The Sharkfighters, he performed stage work in the Chicago area. His Broadway credits include roles in The Young and Beautiful, The Sin of Pat Muldoon, J.B., Romulus, The Chinese Prime Minister, The Three Sisters, Slapstick Tragedy, and Of Love Remembered. In 1968, he starred alongside Joanne Woodward in the Academy Award-nominated film Rachel, Rachel. Olson maintained a career across stage, feature film, and television from the mid-1950s until his retirement in 1990.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
The Family Man
Rachel River
Jake and the Fatman
One Police Plaza
CommandoNorth Beach and Rawhide
Murder, She WroteThe Parade
Cave-In!
American PlayhouseMatt HoustonAmityville II: The Possession
Ragtime
The Silent Lovers
Visions of Christmas Past
Battlestar GalacticaProject U.F.O.The RunawaysThe Mafu CageNo Prince for My Cinderella
The SpellThe Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
The Bionic WomanLaw and Order
Wonder WomanSomeone I TouchedStrange New WorldMan on the OutsideThe Family Nobody Wanted
Little House on the PrairiePolice WomanHarry OManhunterThe New Land
Barnaby JonesPolice StoryIncident on a Dark StreetLegend in Granite
MaudeThe RookiesThe Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San FranciscoKung Fu
ColumboCannonMcMillan & WifeThe Andromeda StrainPaper Man
McCloudSan Francisco International AirportCrescendo
Medical CenterMoon Zero Two
Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O
IronsideIronsideMannixMannix
An Enemy of the PeopleThe Three Sisters
The F.B.I.The F.B.I.The F.B.I.
Route 66
Bonanza
Have Gun, Will TravelThe Strange One
The Sharkfighters
Gunsmoke
Full filmography
- The Family Man (1990)
- Rachel River (1989) as Jack Canon
- Jake and the Fatman (1987)
- One Police Plaza (1986) as Whitney Zangline
- Commando (1985) as Major General Franklin Kirby
- North Beach and Rawhide (1985) as Bill Cassidy
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Clarence La Rue
- The Parade (1984) as Andy Janacek
- Cave-In! (1983) as Tom Arlen
- American Playhouse (1982) as Jack Canon
- Matt Houston (1982)
- Amityville II: The Possession (1982) as Father Adamsky
- Ragtime (1981) as Father
- The Silent Lovers (1980) as Victor Seastrom
- Visions of Christmas Past (1979)
- Battlestar Galactica (1978) as Thane
- Project U.F.O. (1978)
- The Runaways (1978)
- The Mafu Cage (1978) as David
- No Prince for My Cinderella (1978) as Burt Williams
- The Spell (1977) as Glenn
- The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977) as Gen. George Armstrong Custer
- The Bionic Woman (1976)
- Law and Order (1976) as Insp. Ed Shea
- Wonder Woman (1975) as Wotan
- Someone I Touched (1975) as Sam Hyatt
- Strange New World (1975) as Surgeon
- Man on the Outside (1975) as Gerald Griffin
- The Family Nobody Wanted (1975) as Carl Doss
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Reverend Jacob Danforth
- Police Woman (1974)
- Harry O (1974)
- Manhunter (1974) as Walt Hovis
- The New Land (1974)
- The Sex Symbol (1974) as Calvin Bernard
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1974) as McShane
- Barnaby Jones (1973) as Randall Stone
- Police Story (1973)
- Incident on a Dark Street (1973) as Joe Dubbs
- Legend in Granite (1973) as Mas McGee
- Maude (1972) as Sen. Bob Myers
- The Rookies (1972)
- The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
- The Streets of San Francisco (1972) as Dr. Jonas Rabb
- Kung Fu (1972) as Damion
- The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972) as Senator Stanton
- Columbo (1971) as Paul Rifkin
- Cannon (1971)
- McMillan & Wife (1971) as W.T. Knox
- The Andromeda Strain (1971) as Dr. Mark Hall
- Paper Man (1971) as Art Fletcher
- Wild Rovers (1971) as Joe Billings
- McCloud (1970)
- San Francisco International Airport (1970) as Professor Theodore Tragis
- Crescendo (1970) as Georges Ryman / Jacques Ryman
- Medical Center (1969) as Dave Toland
- Moon Zero Two (1969) as Capt. William H. Kemp
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Mariss
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Stoner
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Bernie Brown
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Travis Marshall
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Dr. Kenneth Ames
- Lancer (1968)
- The Stalking Moon (1968) as Cavalry Officer (uncredited)
- Rachel, Rachel (1968) as Nick Kazlik
- Ironside (1967)
- Ironside (1967) as Marvin Bosner
- Mannix (1967)
- Mannix (1967) as Donald Jordan
- An Enemy of the People (1966)
- The Three Sisters (1966) as Baron Tuzenbach
- The F.B.I. (1965) as Sheriff Bill Temple
- The F.B.I. (1965) as George Breen
- The F.B.I. (1965) as Carl Slovich
- Route 66 (1960)
- Bonanza (1959) as Vance
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- The Strange One (1957) as Roger Gatt
- The Sharkfighters (1956) as Ens. Harold Duncan
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Bede Stalcup
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as General George A. Custer
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) as Capt. Dicer