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Ken Olin

 
Director: Ken Olin
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  • Born: Jul 30, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois
  • Occupation: Director, Actor
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Action
  • Career Highlights: Doing Time on Maple Drive, Queens Logic, thirtysomething
  • First Major Screen Credit: thirtysomething (1987)

Biography

A glance at Ken Olin's filmography as an actor alone shows a driven and tireless performer, but take an even closer look and you'll see that not only did Olin appear on-camera in some of the most memorable series of the 1980s and '90s, but he somehow managed to find the time to step into the director/producer chair as well. A Chicago native who attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Olin got his start in the industry in the late '70s. A few years after making his small-screen debut in the made-for-television feature Women at West Point (1979), Olin graduated to feature work with a minor role in the 1981 chiller Ghost Story. Throughout the '80s, the burgeoning actor could be spotted in such television fare as Hill Street Blues and Falcon Crest, and, in 1987, Olin steeped up his responsibilities by not only appearing on thirtysomething, but serving as director as well (for which he won two Humanitas Prizes). Olin would continue to pull double duty on such series as EZ Streets and L.A. Doctors, and in the late '90s he found work behind the camera for such popular shows as Felicity, Judging Amy, The West Wing, Alias, and Freaks and Geeks. Olin's 1992 television drama Doing Time on Maple Drive was nominated for three Emmys. Continuing to acquire at least two credits a year on average as an actor, audiences could rest assured that not only would they be seeing more of Olin onscreen, but they would also bear witness as he refined his skills as a director. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Ken Olin
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Ken Olin

Olin at the 41st Annual Emmy Awards, September 1989
Born Kenneth Edward Olin
July 30, 1954 (1954-07-30) (age 55)
United States Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active 1976 – present
Spouse(s) Patricia Wettig (1982 – present)

Kenneth Edward "Ken" Olin (born July 30, 1954) is an American actor, director and producer. He first became well known for his starring role on the television series Thirtysomething, and is currently a television producer and director.

Contents

Career

As an actor, Olin played Michael Steadman on Thirtysomething (1987–1991) and Dr. Roger Cattan on L.A. Doctors (1998-1999). He was also noted for his performance as Detective Harry Garibaldi on Hill Street Blues and as the lead in the short-lived but critically praised EZ Streets. Olin has also performed in a number of television programs including Alias (as David McNeil), Falcon Crest, and Murder, She Wrote.

He is also known for his work as a director, most recently of the television program Alias (for which he as also served as co-executive producer and producer). He has worked with actress Lena Olin (no relation) and Jennifer Garner on Alias. In addition, he has directed episodes of L.A. Doctors, The West Wing, Felicity, Judging Amy, Freaks and Geeks, Thirtysomething, EZ Streets and Brothers & Sisters.[1]

Personal life

Olin was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a former Peace Corps official and pharmaceutical company owner.[2] He was raised in Highland Park, IL. He graduated from The Putney School in Putney, Vermont in 1972, then completed his college career at the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to his thirtysomething co-star, Patricia Wettig, with whom he has a son, Clifford, and a daughter, Roxanne or better known as "Roxy" who appears on The City (MTV series). Olin is Jewish.[3]

References

  1. ^ Interview: producer Ken Olin on the new series of Brothers and Sisters The Telegraph. 20 February 2009
  2. ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/39/Ken-Olin.html
  3. ^ Elkin, Michael (2006-12-21). "Jewish Jingle Belles?". The Jewish Exponent. http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/11643/. Retrieved 2006-12-22. 

External links

Stub icon This article about an American television actor born in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
v • d • e
Thirtysomething
Cast
Ken Olin (as Michael Steadman) · Mel Harris (as Hope Steadman) · Melanie Mayron (as Melissa Steadman) · Polly Draper (as Ellyn Warren) · Patricia Wettig (as Nancy Weston) Timothy Busfield (as Elliot Weston) · Peter Horton (as Gary Shepherd) · Patricia Kalember (as Susannah Shepherd)
Crew
Episodes

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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