Maren Jensen

Maren Jensen
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Portrays:	Athena
Date of Birth:	September 23, 1956
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month! ,
Age:	69
Nationality:	USA
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		@ BW Media
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Maren Kawehilani Jensen, who played Athena in the Original Series, was born in Arcadia, California on September 23, 1956.

Acting Career

Jensen's acting career was modest, comprised mostly of guest starring roles in TV shows and made-for-TV movies. Its main highlight was her role as Athena in the Original Series, but Jensen initially had little confidence or experience. As she explained, "I got the part by showing up at the casting director's office," she recalls. "It was sent by my agent and I read and screen tested in November [1977] and again in February [1978]. I got the part. My first professional experience came right after my first screen test for the role."

Jensen found the experience of working on Battlestar Galactica challenging as a newcomer to professional acting. "As with any new series, they come in with certain ideas and they see how the performer does and what traits they like about them. They then stress those facets of their personality," she noted. "At present, the actress feels that Athena is still developing."

Jensen also performed in The Hardy Boys and did some on-air theatrical experience before being cast in Galactica. She found Galactica to be a significant departure from her previous work, noting that "I really didn't come into contact with any of the special effects. What set I work on is a big sound stage with some sets constructed in the middle. They're very realistic. But the scope of the show really didn't hit me until I saw the first to [sic] or him and one of those effects."

Character Development

Jensen worked closely with the show's writers and producers to develop Athena's character. She observed that "The show is still establishing itself," and expressed hope that "the series is going to have to appeal to viewers because of both its special effects and its characterizations. I know right now that it's the special effects that dominate it and people are watching primarily for that great look. Eventually, I feel that the accent will have to be put on human relationships."

Regarding her character's portrayal, Jensen was particularly conscious of avoiding stereotypical female roles in science fiction. "Athena is about my age and very much like me in certain ways," Jensen says. "She's smart, courageous, emotional, sensitive but still young. Athena today isn't that dissimilar to the way I first thought about her months ago. I do think that she's a little more sassy now. I first thought of her as being a bit straight, but as the show got going and she interacted with some of the other characters, she got spunkier. She's more willing to take chances now. And if someone does something nasty to her, she's willing to pay them back."

Jensen was particularly interested in ensuring that Athena represented a strong female character in the traditionally male-dominated science fiction genre. "The actress realizes that science fiction has long been considered a man's domain and that, in TV and movies at any rate, most women have been viewed as nothing more than an extension of the male space hero. Jensen is determined to place Athena above all that but finds that she has her hands full. She must strike a balance between areas that could be explored in that."

Pre-Acting Career

Before her acting career, Jensen was a notable fashion model. During this period, she was the live-in partner of musician Don Henley for several years, aiding him in environmental causes such as The Walden Woods project.

Health Challenges

Not long after the Original Series ended, Jensen was struck with the Epstein-Barr virus, fighting the disease throughout the 1980s. She recovered, but apparently has left the world of show business.

References