James Olson
Biography
James Olson was an American actor born in Evanston, Illinois, on October 8, 1930, and he was a graduate of Northwestern University. From 1952 until 1954, he served as a military policeman in the United States Army. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before making his film debut in 1956 in The Sharkfighters. His Broadway credits include The Young and Beautiful in 1955, The Sin of Pat Muldoon in 1957, J.B. in 1958, Romulus in 1962, The Chinese Prime Minister in 1964, The Three Sisters in 1964, Slapstick Tragedy in 1966, and Of Love Remembered in 1967. He starred alongside Joanne Woodward in the film Rachel, Rachel in 1968. He made numerous stage, feature film, and television appearances until his retirement in 1990. He died on April 17, 2022.
Career overview
James Olson was an American actor born in Evanston, Illinois, on October 8, 1930. He graduated from Northwestern University and served as a military policeman in the United States Army from 1952 until 1954. Before making his film debut in The Sharkfighters in 1956, he performed stage work in and around Chicago.
Throughout his career, Olson accumulated numerous stage, feature film, and television appearances from the mid-1950s until his retirement in 1990. His Broadway credits include performances in The Young and Beautiful in 1955, The Sin of Pat Muldoon in 1957, J.B. in 1958, Romulus in 1962, The Chinese Prime Minister in 1964, The Three Sisters in 1964, Slapstick Tragedy in 1966, and Of Love Remembered in 1967. Additionally, he starred alongside Joanne Woodward in the 1968 film Rachel, Rachel, which was an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture.
Olson passed away on April 17, 2022, at the age of 91. Over the course of his active years in the entertainment industry, he built a substantial body of work spanning theater, television, and film, concluding his career before retiring in 1990.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
82 titles- 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
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is James Olson best known for?
James Olson is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Family Man (1990), Jake and the Fatman (1987), Commando (1985), Murder, She Wrote (1984).
When and where was James Olson born?
James Olson was born on October 8, 1930 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. They passed away on April 17, 2022.
How many credits does James Olson have?
James Olson has accumulated over 82 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 1990.
What is James Olson's background in cinema and television?
James Olson was an American actor born in Evanston, Illinois, on October 8, 1930, and he was a graduate of Northwestern University. From 1952 until 1954, he served as a military policeman in the United States Army. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before making his film debut in 1956 in The Sharkfighters. ...
James Olson by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as General George A. Custer — aged about 20
- Columbo (1971) as Paul Rifkin — aged about 40
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Reverend Jacob Danforth — aged about 43
- Kung Fu (1972) as Damion — aged about 41
- The Family Man (1990) — aged about 59
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Clarence La Rue — aged about 53
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