Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

James Olson

Highest Rated: 92% Rachel, Rachel (1968)

Lowest Rated: 27% Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

Birthday: Oct 8, 1930

Birthday:

Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, USA

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.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

92% 77% Rachel, Rachel
Watchlist
84% 76% Ragtime
Watchlist
68% 72% The Andromeda Strain
Watchlist
67% 68% Commando
Watchlist
60% 45% Wild Rovers
Watchlist
38% 67% The Groundstar Conspiracy
Watchlist
27% 36% Amityville II: The Possession
Watchlist
The Sex Symbol
Watchlist
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
Watchlist
20% Paper Man
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
67% 68% Commando Major General Franklin Kirby (Character) $34.9M 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Parade Andy Janacek (Character) - 1984
27% 36% Amityville II: The Possession Father Adamsky (Character) - 1982
84% 76% Ragtime Father (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Silent Lovers Victor Seastrom (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 38% My Sister, My Love David (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Operation: Runaway Burt Williams (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 29% The Spell Glenn (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer Gen. George A. Custer (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Law and Order Insp. Ed Shea (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet 29% Someone I Touched Sam Hyatt (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet 10% Strange New World Surgeon (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Man on the Outside Gerald Griffin (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Family Nobody Wanted Carl Doss (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sex Symbol Calvin Bernard (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Manhunter Walt Hovis (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Tree Grows in Brooklyn McShane (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet 20% Incident on a Dark Street Joe Dubbs (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 19% Crescendo Georges Ryman/Jacques Ryman (Character) - 1972
33% 67% The Groundstar Conspiracy Senator Stanton (Character) - 1972
60% 45% Wild Rovers Joe Billings (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 20% Paper Man Art Fletcher (Character) - 1971
68% 72% The Andromeda Strain Dr. Mark Hall (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 4% Moon Zero Two Capt. William H. Kemp (Character) - 1970
92% 77% Rachel, Rachel Nick Kazlik (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet 17% The Sharkfighters Ens. Harold Duncan (Character) - 1956

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Clarence La Rue (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jake and the Fatman Unknown (Guest Star) 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Little House on the Prairie Reverend Jacob Danforth (Guest Star) 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Unknown (Guest Star) 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet B.J. and the Bear Unknown (Guest Star) 1979
43% 83% Battlestar Galactica Thane (Guest Star) 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bionic Woman Rod Kyler (Guest Star) 1977
100% 82% Wonder Woman Unknown (Guest Star) 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Police Woman Curry (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Streets of San Francisco Dr. Jonas Rabb (Guest Star) 1972 1975-1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Barnaby Jones Unknown (Guest Star) 1973 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cannon Judge Norman Killian (Guest Star) 1972 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Maude Unknown (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Harry O Unknown (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet 100% Kung Fu Unknown (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mannix George Lassiter (Guest Star) 1969 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Marcus Welby, M.D. George Baxter (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Police Story Sgt. Walters (Character) 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet McMillan and Wife W.T. Knox (Guest Star) 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rookies Unknown (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1969 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Bebe Stalcup (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet 81% Columbo Paul Rifkin (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet McCloud Thomas Dane (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Route 66 Thad School (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Have Gun -- Will Travel Unknown (Guest Star) 1958