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Ken Olin

{{Short description|American actor (born 1954)}}

{{Distinguish|Ken Olandt}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ken Olin

| image = Ken Olin.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Olin at the 41st Annual Emmy Awards in September 1989

| birth_name = Kenneth Edward Olin

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|7|30}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania

| years_active = 1976–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Patricia Wettig|1982}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

  • Actor
  • director
  • producer}}

| children = 2

}}

Kenneth Edward Olin (born July 30, 1954) is an American actor, television director, and producer. As an actor, Olin is known for his role as Michael Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991), for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama nomination in 1990. Olin later began working behind the scenes, as a director and producer. His credits as a producer include Alias (2001–2006), Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011), and This Is Us (2016–2022). Olin is married to actress Patricia Wettig.

Career

=Acting=

Olin made several guest appearances on episodic primetime TV in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His first series regular role was on the short-lived NBC comedy-drama Bay City Blues in 1983. He later joined the cast of NBC police drama Hill Street Blues playing Detective Harry Garibaldi from 1984 to 1985, and from 1985 to 1986 co-starred on the CBS prime time soap opera Falcon Crest as Father Christopher Rossini. Olin also guest-starred on Murder, She Wrote and Hotel before he was cast as Michael Steadman, one of the lead roles in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething. Debuting in 1987, the series received critical acclaim, setting a new bar for realism in the realm of prime-time drama.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/features/thirtysomething-30th-anniversary-ken-olin-interview-this-is-us-1202566790/|title=Ken Olin Reflects on 'thirtysomething' at 30 and Similarities to 'This Is Us'|first1=Will|last1=Harris|date=September 26, 2017}} For his performance, Olin was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1990.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/ken-olin|title=Ken Olin|website=www.goldenglobes.com}}

In 1996, Olin played a leading role in the short-lived CBS crime drama EZ Streets. From 1998 to 1999, he played the leading role in another short-lived CBS series, medical drama L.A. Doctors. He appeared along with wife Patricia Wettig in the 1995 television film Nothing But the Truth, and well as in Telling Secrets (1993) with Cybill Shepherd, The Advocate's Devil (1997) alongside Mariska Hargitay, and Evolution's Child (1999). His film credits include roles in Ghost Story (1981), Queens Logic (1991), and 'Til There Was You (1997).

From 2007 to 2011, Olin had a recurring role opposite wife Patricia Wettig in the ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters. From 2015 to 2017, he had a recurring role in the CBS drama series, Zoo. In 2020, ABC ordered a sequel for Thirtysomething and Olin was set to return alongside Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield and Patricia Wettig; however, the project remains in development limbo. {{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/thirtysomething-abc-sequel-series-with-original-cast-marshall-herskovitz-ed-zwick-1202824579/|title='Thirtysomething': ABC Picks Up Sequel Series Pilot With Original Cast From Marshall Herskovitz & Ed Zwick|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|date=January 8, 2020}}

=Producing and directing=

Olin directed six episodes of Thirtysomething. He also directed television movies The Broken Cord (1992), Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992), In Pursuit of Honor (1995) and Phenomenon II (2003), as well as White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994) for Buena Vista Pictures.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/white_fang_2_myth_of_the_white_wolf|title=White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}} He directed episodes of L.A. Doctors, Judging Amy, Felicity, The West Wing, 23 episodes of Alias, 20 episodes of Brothers & Sisters, Sleepy Hollow, and 20 episodes of This Is Us.

File:Patricia Wettig & Ken Olin (255129847).jpg in 1989]]

Olin has been an executive producer on several television dramas, starting with the ABC action drama Alias (2001-2006). From 2006 to 2011, he was a producer on ABC's family drama Brothers & Sisters, and also appeared on a recurring basis.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4682206/Interview-producer-Ken-Olin-on-the-new-series-of-Brothers-and-Sisters.html Interview: producer Ken Olin on the new series of Brothers and Sisters], telegraph.co.uk, February 20, 2009 His wife, Patricia Wettig, was also a regular cast member on the show. In the summer of 1990, Olin directed Wettig in a production of "My Mother Said I Never Should" at the Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College.{{cite web |last1=O'Haire |first1=Patricia |title=Vassar Inspires Theatrical Growing Pains |url=http://www.perfectstrangers.tv/nydailynews072690.htm |website=nydailynews.com}}

His other credits include Breaking News (2002), The Mob Doctor (2012-2013) and Sleepy Hollow. In 2016, he began producing NBC's family drama This Is Us, which received four Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series nominations during its run.{{Cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/ken-olin|title=Ken Olin|website=Television Academy}}

Personal life

Olin was born to a Jewish family{{cite news|last=Elkin|first=Michael|title=Jewish Jingle Belles?|publisher=The Jewish Exponent|date=December 21, 2006|url=http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/11643|access-date=December 22, 2006 }} in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a former Peace Corps official and pharmaceutical company owner.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/39/Ken-Olin.html Profile], filmreference.com; accessed July 31, 2015. He was raised in Highland Park, Illinois. He graduated from The Putney School in Putney, Vermont, in 1972.{{cite web|author= John J. O'Connor|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/28/arts/critic-s-notebook-saying-goodbye-fondly-to-a-bit-of-reality-on-tv.html|title=CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Saying Goodbye, Fondly, to a Bit of Reality on TV|work=New York Times|date=May 28, 1991|access-date=June 24, 2013}} He then matriculated into the 1976 class at the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to thirtysomething co-star, Patricia Wettig, with whom he has a son, Clifford, and a daughter, Roxanne, who appeared on The City.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ken-olin/bio/182898|title=Ken Olin | TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com}}

Filmography

= as Actor =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1978

|The Paper Chase

|Timothy

|"The Man Who Would Be King"

1979

|Women at West Point

|Board Member

|TV movie

1981

|Ghost Story

|Young Sears James

|

1983–84

|Bay City Blues

|Rock Padillo

|series regular (8 episodes)

1984

|Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac

|David Frank

|TV movie

1984–85

|Hill Street Blues

|Detective Harry Garibaldi

|recurring role (29 episodes)

1985–86

|Falcon Crest

|Father Christopher

|series regular (17 episodes)

1986

|There Must Be a Pony

|Jay Savage

|TV movie

1986

|Murder, She Wrote

|Perry Revere

|"Deadline for Murder"

1987

|Tonight's the Night

|Henry Fox

|TV movie

1987

|I'll Take Manhattan

|Nat Lammerman

|Miniseries

1987

|Hotel

|Mark Fredricks

|"Class of '72"

1987

|The Hitchhiker

|Steve

|"Best Shot"

1987–91

|thirtysomething

|Michael Steadman

|series regular (85 episodes)
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (1990){{Cite web|title=Ken Olin|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/ken-olin|access-date=2021-06-30|website=www.goldenglobes.com}}
Nominated – Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series (1991)

1988

|A Stoning in Fulham County

|Jim Sandler

|TV movie

1988

|Police Story: Cop Killer

|Officer Manny Mandell

|TV movie

1990

|Goodnight Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston

|Charles Stuart

|TV movie

1991

|Queens Logic

|Ray

|

1993

|Telling Secrets

|Detective Jay Jensen

|TV movie

1995

|Nothing But the Truth

|Doctor Peter Clayman

|TV movie

1995

|Dead by Sunset

|Brad Cunningham

|Miniseries

1996–97

|EZ Streets

|Detective Cameron Quinn

|series regular (12 episodes)

1997

|'Till There Was You

|Gregory

|

1997

|The Advocate's Devil

|Abe Ringel

|TV movie

1998–99

|L.A. Doctors

|Dr. Roger Cattan

|series regular (24 episodes)

1999

|Evolution's Child

|James Mydell

|TV movie

1999

|Y2K

|Nick Cromwell

|TV movie

2001

|Say Uncle

|unknown role

|TV movie

2001–02

|Alias

|David McNeil

|3 episodes

2002

|Breaking News

|Richard Sloan

|"Pilot"

2005

|The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie

|Ken Olin

|

2007–2011

|Brothers & Sisters

|David Caplan

|recurring role (30 episodes)

2012

|Americana

|Martin Garano

|TV movie

2013

|Criminal Minds

|Bruce Morrison

|"All That Remains"

2015–17

|Zoo

|Professor Robert Oz / Robert Oz

|recurring role (10 episodes)

2018

|The Cloverfield Paradox

|Radio Voice (Voice Role)

|

2020

|thirtysomething(else)

|Michael Steadman

|TV movie

= as Director =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Notes

1989–91

|thirtysomething

|6 episodes
* "No Promises" (1989)

  • "Courting Nancy" (1989)
  • "Pilgrims" (1989)
  • "The Other Shoe" (1990)
  • "Guns and Roses" (1990)
  • "Second Look" (1991)
1998–1999

|L.A. Doctors

|4 episodes
* "Maybe It's You" (1998)

  • "True Believers" (1999)
  • "O Captain, My Captain" (1999)
  • "Forty-Eight Minutes" (1999)
1992

|The Broken Card

|TV movie

1992

|Doing Time on Maple Drive

|TV movie

1994

|White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf

|

1995

|In Pursuit of Honor

|TV movie

1996

|EZ Streets

|"Every Picture Tells a Story"

1999

|Judging Amy

|"Witch Hunt"

1999–2000

|Felicity

|2 episodes
* "Family Affairs" (1999)

  • "True Colors" (2000)
2000

|Freaks and Geeks

|"The Diary"

2000

|The West Wing

|3 episodes
* "Take Out the Trash Day" (2000)

  • "The White House Pro-Am" (2000)
  • "In This White House" (2000)
2001–05

|Alias

|23 episodes
Nominated – OFTA Television Award for Best Direction in a Drama Series (2002)
* "So It Begins" (2001){{Cite web|title=6th Annual TV Awards (2001-02) - Online Film & Television Association|url=http://www.oftaawards.com/television-awards/6th-annual-tv-awards-2001-02/|access-date=2021-06-30|language=en-US}}

  • "Doppleganger" (2001)
  • "Mea Culpa" (2001)
  • "Page 47" (2002)
  • "Q & A" (2002)
  • "Rendezvous" (2002)
  • "The Enemy Walks In" (2002)
  • "The Indicator" (2002)
  • "Passage: Part 1" (2002)
  • "Passage: Part 2" (2002)
  • "Double Agent" (2003)
  • "A Dark Turn" (2003)
  • "Second Double" (2003)
  • "The Two" (2003)
  • "Repercussions" (2003)
  • "Conscious" (2003)
  • "Crossings" (2004)
  • "Hourglass" (2004)
  • "Resurrection" (2004)
  • "Authorized Personnel Only: Part 1" (2005)
  • "Authorized Personnel Only: Part 2" (2005)
  • "The Orphan" (2005)
  • "Prophet Five" (2005)
2002

|Breaking News

|2 episodes
* "Pilot" (2002)

  • "Hi, Noonan" (2002)
2003

|The Wonderful World of Disney

|"Phenomenon II"

2006

|Introducing Lennie Rose

|TV movie

2006–2011

|Brothers & Sisters

|20 episodes
* "Patriarchy" (2006)

  • "Family Portrait" (2006)
  • "Mistakes Were Made: Part 2" (2006)
  • "Matriarchy" (2007)
  • "Unaired Pilot" (2007)
  • "Home Front" (2007)
  • "Domestic Issues" (2007)
  • "Prior Commitments" (2008)
  • "Troubled Waters: Part 1" (2009)
  • "Troubled Waters: Part 2" (2009)
  • "Mexico" (2009)
  • "The Road Ahead" (2009)
  • "Breaking the News" (2009)
  • "The Wig Party" (2009)
  • "Time After Time: Part 1" (2010)
  • "Time After Time: Part 2" (2010)
  • "On the Road Again" (2010)
  • "A Righteous Kill" (2010)
  • "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (2011)
  • "Walker Down the Aisle" (2011)
2008

|Eli Stone

|"Pilot"

2012

|The Mob Doctor

|2 episodes
* "Protect and Serve" (2012)

  • "Fluid Dynamics" (2012)
2013–14

|Sleepy Hollow

|4 episodes
* "Blood Moon" (2013)

  • "The Sin Eater" (2013)
  • "Bad Blood" (2014)
  • "This Is War" (2014)
2015

|The Slap

|4 episodes
* "Harry" (2015)

  • "Manolis" (2015)
  • "Connie" (2015)
  • "Ritchie" (2015)
2015

|The Man in the High Castle

|"The Illustrated Woman"

2016–2022

|This Is Us

|32 episodes
* "The Big Three" (2016)

  • "The Big Day" (2017)
  • "Jack Pearson's Son" (2017)
  • "Moonshadow" (2017)
  • "A Father's Advice" (2017)
  • "Still There" (2017)
  • "Number One" (2017)
  • "Number Two" (2017)
  • "The Car" (2018)
  • "The Wedding" (2018)
  • "Nine Bucks" (2018)
  • "Vietnam" (2018)
  • "Sometimes" (2018)
  • "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning" (2018)
  • "Songbird Road: Part Two" (2019)
  • "Her" (2019)
  • "Strangers" (2019)
  • "The Dinner and the Date" (2019)
  • "So Long, Marianne" (2019)
  • "New York, New York, New York" (2020)
  • "Strangers: Part Two" (2020)
  • "Forty: Part One" (2020)
  • "Forty: Part Two" (2020)
  • "Honestly" (2020)
  • "In the Room" (2021)
  • "I've Got This" (2021)"
  • "The Adirondacks" (2021)
  • "The Challenger" (2022)
  • "Katoby" (2022)
  • "The Train" (2022)
  • "Us" (2022)
2017

|The Arrangement

|"Pilot"

2019

|Grand Hotel

|"Pilot"

2024-2025

|Tracker

|7 episodes
* "Klamath Falls" (2024)

  • "Missoula" (2024)
  • "Springland" (2024)
  • "The Storm" (2024)
  • "Out of the Past" (2024)
  • "The Night Movers" (2024)
  • "The Grey Goose" (2025)

= as Producer =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Notes

1995

|Kansas

|TV movie (Executive Producer)

2002

|Breaking News

|TV movie (Executive Producer)

2002–2006

|Alias

|Executive Producer (83 episodes)
Co-Executive Producer (22 episodes)
Nominated – Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama (2004)

2003

|The Wonderful World of Disney

|"Phenonmenon II" (Executive Producer)

2006

|Introducing Lennie Rose

|TV movie (Executive Producer)

2006

|Enemies

|"Pilot" (Executive Producer)

2006–2011

|Brothers & Sisters

|Executive Producer (106 episodes)

2007

|Brothers & Sisters: Family Album

|TV movie (Executive Producer)

2008

|Eli Stone

|"Pilot" (Executive Producer)

2012–13

|The Mob Doctor

|Executive Producer (7 episodes)

2013–14

|Sleepy Hollow

|Executive Producer (20 episodes)

2016–2022

|This Is Us

|Executive Producer (105 episodes)
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Outstanding Drama Series (as Producer) (2018)
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (as Producer) (2017-2019){{Cite web|title=Ken Olin|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/ken-olin|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Television Academy|language=en}}
Nominated – Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama (2019)

2017

|The Arrangement

|"Pilot" (Executive Producer)

2019

|Grand Hotel

|"Pilot" (Executive Producer)

References

{{reflist|2}}

External links

  • {{IMDb name|0646440}}
  • {{IBDB name|79607}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olin, Ken}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Chicago

Category:American male film actors

Category:Film directors from Illinois

Category:American male television actors

Category:American television directors

Category:Circle in the Square Theatre School alumni

Category:Jewish American male actors

Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni

Category:The Putney School alumni

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:20th-century American Jews