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James Olson: Difference between revisions

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{{Crew Data
| image=Thane.jpg
| role=[[Thane]]
| series=TOS
| born_month=10
| born_day=8
| born_year=1930
| death_month=4
| death_day=17
| death_year=2022
| nationality=US
| site=
| imdb= 0647921
| sortkey=Olson, James
}}
 
'''James R. Olson''' (October 8, 1930―April 17, 2022) was an American actor who portrayed [[Thane]] in the {{OS|The Gun on Ice Planet Zero|prose=y}}.
 
Olson was known for both his 6 ft., 3 in.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=James Olson, "Promising" Young Actor|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=17 February 1957|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34705374/james-olson/}}</ref> rugged stature and deep gravel-toned voice, bringing both his physical and vocal talents to radio, stage and screen throughout the decades.
 
Olson is better known to most audiences for his role in 1971's genre film ''[[w:The Andromeda Strain (film)|The Andromeda Strain]]'' and his various guest appearances in television, ranging from ''[[w:Playhouse 90|Playhouse 90]]'' (1960) to ''[[w:Mannix|Mannix]]'' (1969 & 1974) to ''[[w:The Bionic Woman|The Bionic Woman]]'' (1977), up to his final on-screen role in 1990's ''[[w:Murder, She Wrote|Murder, She Wrote]]''.
 
== Career ==
 
Born in [[w:Evanston, Illinois|Evanston]], [[w:Illinois|Illinois]], Olson graduated from [[w:Evanston Township High School|Evanston Township High School]] and [[w:Northwestern University|Northwestern University]]. During his childhood, he recorded radio jingles in [[w:Chicago|Chicago]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://malibutimes.com/obituary-james-r-olson#:~:text=James%20moved%20to%20Los%20Angeles%20as%20a%20toddler%2C%20where%20he%20recorded%20radio%20jingles%20before%20moving%20back%20to%20Evanston%20as%20a%20young%20boy|title=Obituary: James R. Olson|author=The Malibu Times|date=28 April 2022|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref> and made his first stage debut (at age 12) in the Evanston Children's Theater production ''Hans Brinkler and the Silver Skates'', later transitioning in theater fully during his undergraduate period at Northwestern.<ref group="external" name="malibutimes_olson_theater_debut">{{Cite web|url=https://malibutimes.com/obituary-james-r-olson#:~:text=He%20made%20his%20stage%20debut%20at%20age%2012%20in%20the%20Evanston%20Children%27s%20Theater%20production%20of%20%E2%80%9CHans%20Brinker%20and%20the%20Silver%20Skates%E2%80%9D|title=Obituary: James R. Olson|author=The Malibu Times|date=28 April 2022|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
Following his service in the [[w:United States Army|U.S. Army]] as a [[w:Military police|Military Police]] officer from 1952 to 1954,<ref name=":1" /> he began his career with his debut in the 1956 film ''[[w:The Sharkfighters|The Sharkfighters]]''.<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_sharkfighters">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=The%20Sharkfighters|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref> Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous television series, including ''[[w:Have Gun – Will Travel|Have Gun – Will Travel]]'', ''[[w:Mannix|Mannix]]'', ''[[w:Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]'', ''[[w:McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]'', ''[[w:Columbo|Columbo]]'', and ''[[w:Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]''.<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_filmography">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
His breakthrough role was in 1968's Oscar-nominated film ''[[w:Rachel, Rachel|Rachel, Rachel]]'', produced and directed by [[w:Paul Newman|Paul Newman]] and starring Newman's wife [[w:Joanne Woodward|Joanne Woodward]]. Olson portrayed Nick Kazlik, the foil who romances and later rejects Woodward's sexually-repressed schoolteacher character.<ref group="external" name="deadline_olson_obituary">{{Cite news|title=James Olson Dies: 'Rachel, Rachel', 'The Andromeda Strain' Actor Was 91|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/james-olson-dead-actor-obituary-rachel-rachel-andromeda-strain-1235020291/#:~:text=His%20breakthrough%20came%20in%20the%201968%20Oscar-nominated%20Rachel%2C%20Rachel|author=Greg Evans|date=10 May 2022|publisher=Deadline|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
Olson first acted with [[Lorne Greene]] in two episodes of ''[[w:Bonanza|Bonanza]]'', "Sweet Annie Laurie" (1969) and "Ambush and Rio Lobo" (1972),<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_bonanza">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=Bonanza|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref> and later with [[Richard Hatch]] on ''[[w:The Streets of San Francisco|The Streets of San Francisco]]'' in the 1976 episode "No Minor Voices,"<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_streets_sf">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=The%20Streets%20of%20San%20Francisco|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref> later reuniting with both actors on 1978's ''Battlestar Galactica'' for the two-parter "[[The Gun on Ice Planet Zero]]."
 
He later had a recurring role on [[Glen A. Larson]]'s 1979 series ''[[w:B.J. and the Bear|B.J. and the Bear]]'' and ''[[w:The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo|The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo]]'', portraying the criminal mastermind Paul Vane over three episodes.<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_bj_bear">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=B.J.%20and%20the%20Bear|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
During the last decade of his career, Olson appeared in the 1985 [[w:Arnold Schwarzenegger|Arnold Schwarzenegger]] film ''[[w:Commando (1985 film)|Commando]]''.<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_commando">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=Commando|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
His final on-screen role was as Clarence La Rue in ''[[w:Murder, She Wrote|Murder, She Wrote]]'''s 1990 episode "A Body to Die For."<ref group="external" name="imdb_olson_murder_she_wrote">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647921/#:~:text=Murder%2C%20She%20Wrote|title=James Olson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
== Personal Life ==
 
Following his retirement, Olson remained an active aficionado of film and theater, regularly traveling to both [[w:London|London]] and [[w:New York City|New York]] up until his passing.<ref name=":0" />
 
Never having married, Olson passed away at the age of 91 in his [[w:Malibu, California|Malibu]], [[w:California|California]] home on April 17, 2022 from natural causes.<ref group="external" name="malibutimes_olson_death">{{Cite web|url=https://malibutimes.com/obituary-james-r-olson#:~:text=James%20passed%20away%20at%20his%20Malibu%20home%20on%20April%2017%2C%202022%20from%20natural%20causes|title=Obituary: James R. Olson|author=The Malibu Times|date=28 April 2022|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref> Surviving him are his nieces Susan Baker and Robin Olson, nephew David James Olson, their spouses and three grandnephews.<ref group="external" name="malibutimes_olson_survivors">{{Cite web|url=https://malibutimes.com/obituary-james-r-olson#:~:text=He%20is%20survived%20by%20nieces%20Susan%20Baker%20and%20Robin%20Olson%2C%20nephew%20David%20James%20Olson%2C%20their%20spouses%20and%20three%20grandnephews|title=Obituary: James R. Olson|author=The Malibu Times|date=28 April 2022|accessdate=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
 
== References ==
 
=== External Sources ===
{{reflist|group=external}}
 
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist}}
 
== External Links ==
{{Ext-wikipedia|James Olson}}

Latest revision as of 20:51, 11 January 2026

 James Olson
Role: Thane
BSG Universe: Original Series
Date of Birth: October 8, 1930
Date of Death: April 17, 2022
Age at Death: 91
Nationality: USA USA
[ Official Site]
IMDb profile

James R. Olson (October 8, 1930―April 17, 2022) was an American actor who portrayed Thane in the Original Series' "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero".

Olson was known for both his 6 ft., 3 in.[1] rugged stature and deep gravel-toned voice, bringing both his physical and vocal talents to radio, stage and screen throughout the decades.

Olson is better known to most audiences for his role in 1971's genre film The Andromeda Strain and his various guest appearances in television, ranging from Playhouse 90 (1960) to Mannix (1969 & 1974) to The Bionic Woman (1977), up to his final on-screen role in 1990's Murder, She Wrote.

Career

edit

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Olson graduated from Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University. During his childhood, he recorded radio jingles in Chicago[2] and made his first stage debut (at age 12) in the Evanston Children's Theater production Hans Brinkler and the Silver Skates, later transitioning in theater fully during his undergraduate period at Northwestern.[external 1]

Following his service in the U.S. Army as a Military Police officer from 1952 to 1954,[1] he began his career with his debut in the 1956 film The Sharkfighters.[external 2] Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous television series, including Have Gun – Will Travel, Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, McCloud, Columbo, and Little House on the Prairie.[external 3]

His breakthrough role was in 1968's Oscar-nominated film Rachel, Rachel, produced and directed by Paul Newman and starring Newman's wife Joanne Woodward. Olson portrayed Nick Kazlik, the foil who romances and later rejects Woodward's sexually-repressed schoolteacher character.[external 4]

Olson first acted with Lorne Greene in two episodes of Bonanza, "Sweet Annie Laurie" (1969) and "Ambush and Rio Lobo" (1972),[external 5] and later with Richard Hatch on The Streets of San Francisco in the 1976 episode "No Minor Voices,"[external 6] later reuniting with both actors on 1978's Battlestar Galactica for the two-parter "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero."

He later had a recurring role on Glen A. Larson's 1979 series B.J. and the Bear and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, portraying the criminal mastermind Paul Vane over three episodes.[external 7]

During the last decade of his career, Olson appeared in the 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Commando.[external 8]

His final on-screen role was as Clarence La Rue in Murder, She Wrote's 1990 episode "A Body to Die For."[external 9]

Personal Life

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Following his retirement, Olson remained an active aficionado of film and theater, regularly traveling to both London and New York up until his passing.[2]

Never having married, Olson passed away at the age of 91 in his Malibu, California home on April 17, 2022 from natural causes.[external 10] Surviving him are his nieces Susan Baker and Robin Olson, nephew David James Olson, their spouses and three grandnephews.[external 11]

References

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External Sources

edit
  1. ↑ The Malibu Times (28 April 2022). Obituary: James R. Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  3. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  4. ↑ Greg Evans. "James Olson Dies: 'Rachel, Rachel', 'The Andromeda Strain' Actor Was 91 (backup available on Archive.org)", 10 May 2022.Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ James Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  10. ↑ The Malibu Times (28 April 2022). Obituary: James R. Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ The Malibu Times (28 April 2022). Obituary: James R. Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Retrieved on January 11, 2026.

Notes

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "James Olson, "Promising" Young Actor (backup available on Archive.org)", 17 February 1957.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Malibu Times (28 April 2022). Obituary: James R. Olson (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Retrieved on January 11, 2026.
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