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).

Фільмографія

• Aaron's Way — Aaron Miller
• Fathers and Sons
• 1984Time Bomb — Jake Calahan
• Father Murphy — John Michael Murphy
• 1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story — Todd Simms
• 1978A Fire in the Sky — Stan Webster
• 1975Mitchell — Benton
• Little House on the Prairie — Jonathan Garvey
• Kung Fu — Perlee Skowrin
• The Brian Keith Show
• 1971One More Train to Rob — Eli Jones
• 1971Something Big — Sgt. Fitzsimmons
• Monday Night Football — Defensive Tackle, Left Defensive Tackle, Defensive tackle
• 1969The Undefeated — Little George
• Shindig!
• Petticoat Junction

Ток-шоу, премії та інші появи (1)

• Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure — Self (archive footage)