Before Ken Olin was shaping some of television’s most memorable stories, he was a Chicago kid with Hollywood dreams.
The son of a former Jewish Peace Corps official, Olin was raised in Highland Park. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature in the late 1970s, he moved to Los Angeles and scored small acting roles on television before his career took off.
His breakout role as Michael Steadmanin the ABC drama series thirtysomething received critical acclaim and earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1990. He also directed six episodes, which he says significantly impacted the direction of his career in the years to come.
Olin moved into producing with the ABC drama Alias in 2001. He later served as a producer on ABC’s family drama Brothers & Sisters from 2006 to 2011, while also appearing in a recurring role alongside his wife, Patricia Wettig. In 2016, he began producing NBC’s family drama This Is Us, which received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series during its run.
Currently, Olin serves as Executive Producer and Director of the CBS action-drama series Tracker.
What was the last book you read?
2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
It’s a toss-up between Kramer vs. Kramer, Seven, and The Godfather Part II.
What’s your favorite Jewish food?
Lox.
What are you listening to these days?
S.G. Goodman’s Planting by the Signs, Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow, and Wilderado’s OurVinyl Live EP. I also just discovered Xuefei Yang, who’s an amazing classical guitarist.
Who was the last person you texted on your phone?
My daughter, Roxy.
If you could invite three people to a Shabbat dinner, who would they be?
Noah Feldman: I’m reading his book, To Be A Jew Today. I was raised very much a secular Jew, so I need educating.
Dan Fogelman: My friend and creator of This Is Us because I never see him anymore.
Sterling K. Brown.: I learned a lot from him about the African American experience, so I’d be reciprocating.
If you could have any other occupation, what would it be?
Lawyer. I’d pursue a career in politics.
Who is your biggest role model?
My stepfather.
What are you currently binging on TV?
Nothing. I watch sports.
If you could offer the teen version of yourself one piece of wisdom, what would it be?
I don’t have an answer to this. It’s taken me so long to be satisfied with who I am and where I’ve been. I am now, so whatever I’d tell him is kind of pointless because he ended up doing okay.
