
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Born
October 8, 1930
Died
April 17, 2022 (age 91)
Place of Birth
Evanston, Illinois, USA
James Olson
Biography
James Olson (October 8, 1930 – April 17, 2022) was an American actor.
From 1952 until 1954, he was a military policeman in the United States Army. He performed stage work in and around Chicago before his 1956 film debut in The Sharkfighters.
His Broadway credits include Of Love Remembered (1967), Slapstick Tragedy (1966), The Three Sisters (1964), The Chinese Prime Minister (1964), Romulus (1962), J.B. (1958), The Sin of Pat Muldoon (1957), and The Young and Beautiful (1955). He starred alongside Joanne Woodward in the Academy Award nominee for Best Picture Rachel, Rachel in 1968. He made numerous stage, feature film, and TV appearances from the mid-1950s until 1990, when he retired.
On television, Olson portrayed Mickey Mantle in The Life of Mickey Mantle. His other TV appearances included guest roles on scores of shows, including episodes of Kraft Television Theatre; Ironside; 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; Columbo; Maude; The Virginian; The Streets of San Francisco; and Cannon. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Olson (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For

TV
Columbo
Paul Rifkin
1971

TV
Bonanza
Vance
1959

TV
Murder, She Wrote
Clarence La Rue
1984

TV
Mannix
1967

TV
Mannix
Donald Jordan
1967

TV
Ironside
1967

TV
Ironside
Marvin Bosner
1967

TV
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

TV
Hawaii Five-O
Mariss
1968

TV
Hawaii Five-O
Stoner
1968

TV
Hawaii Five-O
Bernie Brown
1968

TV
Hawaii Five-O
Travis Marshall
1968

TV
Hawaii Five-O
Dr. Kenneth Ames
1968

TV
Medical Center
Dave Toland
1969

TV
Cannon
1971

TV
The F.B.I.
Sheriff Bill Temple
1965

TV
The F.B.I.
George Breen
1965

TV
The F.B.I.
Carl Slovich
1965

TV
Robert Montgomery Presents
Capt. Dicer
1950

TV
Police Woman
1974
Filmography
1990TVThe Family Man1989FilmRachel Riveras Jack Canon1987TVJake and the Fatman1986FilmOne Police Plazaas Whitney Zangline1985FilmNorth Beach and Rawhideas Bill Cassidy1985FilmCommandoas Major General Franklin Kirby1984TVMurder, She Wroteas Clarence La Rue1984FilmThe Paradeas Andy Janacek1983FilmCave-In!as Tom Arlen1982TVMatt Houston1982FilmAmityville II: The Possessionas Father Adamsky1981FilmRagtimeas Father1980FilmThe Silent Loversas Victor Seastrom1979FilmVisions of Christmas Past1978TVBattlestar Galacticaas Thane1978FilmNo Prince for My Cinderellaas Burt Williams1978TVThe Runaways1978FilmThe Mafu Cageas David1978TVProject U.F.O.1977FilmThe Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custeras Gen. George Armstrong Custer1977FilmThe Spellas Glenn1976FilmLaw and Orderas Insp. Ed Shea1976TVThe Bionic Woman1975TVWonder Womanas Wotan1975FilmStrange New Worldas Surgeon1975FilmMan on the Outsideas Gerald Griffin1975FilmSomeone I Touchedas Sam Hyatt1975FilmThe Family Nobody Wantedas Carl Doss1974FilmThe Sex Symbolas Calvin Bernard1974TVThe New Land1974TVPolice Woman1974TVHarry O1974FilmA Tree Grows in Brooklynas McShane1974FilmManhunteras Walt Hovis1973FilmLegend in Graniteas Mas McGee1973TVPolice Story1973TVBarnaby Jonesas Randall Stone1973FilmIncident on a Dark Streetas Joe Dubbs1972TVKung Fuas Damion1972TVThe Streets of San Francisco1972TVMaudeas Sen. Bob Myers1972TVThe Rookies1972FilmThe Groundstar Conspiracyas Senator Stanton1971FilmPaper Manas Art Fletcher1971TVMcMillan & Wifeas W.T. Knox1971TVColumboas Paul Rifkin1971TVCannon1971FilmWild Roversas Joe Billings1971FilmThe Andromeda Strainas Dr. Mark Hall1970TVSan Francisco International Airportas Professor Theodore Tragis1970FilmCrescendoas Georges Ryman / Jacques Ryman1970TVMcCloud1969FilmMoon Zero Twoas Capt. William H. Kemp1969TVMedical Centeras Dave Toland1968FilmThe Stalking Moonas Cavalry Officer (uncredited)1968TVLancer1968TVHawaii Five-Oas Mariss1968FilmRachel, Rachelas Nick Kazlik1967TVMannix1967TVIronside1966FilmAn Enemy of the People1966FilmThe Three Sistersas Baron Tuzenbach1965TVThe F.B.I.as Sheriff Bill Temple1960TVRoute 661959TVBonanzaas Vance1957TVHave Gun, Will Travel1957FilmThe Strange Oneas Roger Gatt1956FilmThe Sharkfightersas Ens. Harold Duncan1955TVGunsmokeas Bede Stalcup1951TVHallmark Hall of Fameas General George A. Custer1950TVRobert Montgomery Presentsas Capt. Dicer