
Logan, Utah, USA
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).
as Defensive Tackle

as Jonathan Garvey
1974

1963

as Defensive Tackle
1970

1964

as John Michael Murphy
1981

1972
as Aaron Miller
1988

as Little George
1969

as Sgt. Fitzsimmons
1971

as Self (archive footage)
2022

as Perlee Skowrin
1972

as Jake Calahan
1984
as Stan Webster
1978
as Defensive Tackle
6 ep.

as Jonathan Garvey
50 episodes

1 episodes

as Defensive Tackle
6 episodes

1 episodes

as John Michael Murphy
35 episodes

1 episodes
as Aaron Miller
14 episodes

as Self (archive footage)
1 episodes

as Perlee Skowrin
1 episodes

4 episodes