James Olson

James Olson Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: October 8, 1930

Death Date: April 17, 2022

Birth Place: Evanston, Illinois

Known for playing distant yet sensitive characters, James Olson began his acting career in the theater, eventually making his first on-screen impression with a stage adaptation, the bizarre military drama "The Strange One," which starred Ben Gazzara. Olson played Tuzenbach in a film version of the Lee Strasberg-directed Chekhov play "The Three Sisters," starring Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley. He also appeared in a television film version of Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" before winning his best part, Nick Kazlik, the blunt childhood friend of Joanne Woodward's spinster schoolteacher, in Paul Newman's "Rachel, Rachel."

In 1971, Olson played a banker in the Blake Edwards western "Wild Rovers," and following this role, he spent most of his career guest-starring on various television shows, mostly crime dramas like "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Police Woman." Olson also made several appearances on the police drama "Hawaii Five-O" in 1972 and "Murder, She Wrote" in 1990. Olson also made notable film performance as a priest in the horror sequel "Amityville II: The Possession" and as Major General Kirby in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film "Commando." James Olson died on April 17, 2022 in Malibu, CA at the age of 91.

Credits

Jake and the Fatman

Guest Star
Series
1987

CommandoStream

Actor
Major General Franklin Kirby
Movie
1985
67%

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Clarence La Rue
Series
1984

The ParadeStream

Actor
Andy Janacek
Movie
1984

Amityville II: The PossessionStream

Actor
Father Adamsky
Movie
1982
24%

RagtimeStream

Actor
Father
Movie
1981
83%

The Silent Lovers

Actor
Victor Seastrom
Movie
1980

The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo

Guest Star
Show
1979

B. J. and the Bear

Guest Star
Series
1979

Battlestar GalacticaStream

Guest Star
Thane
Series
1978
43%

My Sister, My Love

Actor
David
Movie
1978

Operation: Runaway

Actor
Burt Williams
Movie
1978

The Spell

Actor
Glenn
Movie
1977

The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer

Actor
Gen. George A. Custer
Movie
1977

Wonder WomanStream

Guest Star
Series
1976

The Bionic WomanStream

Guest Star
Rod Kyler
Series
1976

Law and Order

Actor
Insp. Ed Shea
Movie
1976

Man on the Outside

Actor
Gerald Griffin
Movie
1975

Someone I Touched

Actor
Sam Hyatt
Movie
1975

Strange New World

Actor
Surgeon
Movie
1975

The Family Nobody Wanted

Actor
Carl Doss
Movie
1975

Police Woman

Guest Star
Curry
Series
1974

Harry O

Guest Star
Show
1974

Little House on the PrairieStream

Guest Star
Reverend Jacob Danforth
Series
1974

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Actor
McShane
Movie
1974

Manhunter

Actor
Walt Hovis
Movie
1974

The Sex Symbol

Actor
Calvin Bernard
Movie
1974

Le Justicier

Actor
Movie
1974

Police StoryStream

Actor
Sgt. Walters
Series
1973

Barnaby JonesStream

Guest Star
Series
1973

Incident on a Dark StreetStream

Actor
Joe Dubbs
Movie
1973

The Streets of San FranciscoStream

Guest Star
Vic Lawson
Series
1972

MaudeStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

The RookiesStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

Kung FuStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

Colombo: Concerto con delitto

Actor
Paul Rifkin
Movie
1972

The Groundstar Conspiracy

Actor
Senator Stanton
Movie
1972

Crescendo

Actor
Georges Ryman/Jacques Ryman
Movie
1972

Columbo: Symphonie en noir

Actor
Movie
1972

McMillan & Wife

Guest Star
W.T. Knox
Series
1971

ColumboStream

Guest Star
Paul Rifkin
Series
1971
84%

Cannon

Guest Star
Jim Relko
Series
1971

The Andromeda StrainStream

Actor
Dr. Mark Hall
Movie
1971
67%

Wild RoversStream

Actor
Joe Billings
Movie
1971
60%

Paper Man

Actor
Art Fletcher
Movie
1971

McCloud

Guest Star
Thomas Dane
Series
1970

Moon Zero TwoStream

Actor
Capt. William H. Kemp
Movie
1970

Marcus Welby, M.D.Stream

Guest Star
George Baxter
Series
1969

Rachel, RachelStream

Actor
Nick Kazlik
Movie
1968
92%

MannixStream

Guest Star
Donald Jordan
Series
1967

An Enemy of the People

Actor
Hovstad
Show
1966

Route 66Stream

Guest Star
Thad School
Series
1960

BonanzaStream

Guest Star
Series
1959

Have Gun -- Will TravelStream

Guest Star
Series
1957

The Sharkfighters

Actor
Ens. Harold Duncan
Movie
1956

GunsmokeStream

Guest Star
Bebe Stalcup
Series
1955