Maren Jensen
| Maren Jensen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 23, 1956 Arcadia, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978-1981 |
Maren Kawehilani Jensen (born September 23, 1956) is an American former model and actress, best known for portraying Athena in the 1970s television series Battlestar Galactica. Jansen also made guest appearances in several US television series, such as The Love Boat and Fantasy Island.
Biography
Maren Jensen was born in Glendale, California. Her father was a physician, and her mother was a secretary with the Los Angeles Zoo. She is a middle child, with an older brother, Dana, and a younger sister, Kathleen. Maren attended Herbert Hoover High School from 1971 to 1974, and after graduating received a scholarship to attend UCLA, where she majored in Theater Arts and Law.
While still in college, Maren began a modeling career. She was featured on the covers of Vogue and Mademoiselle. A mutual friend introduced her to the agent Barbara Gale, who helped arrange two network commercials and a role in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in 1977. In 1978, Jensen starred in Battlestar Galactica. She was featured on the cover of TV Guide in April 1978. Her last known role was in Wes Craven's 1981 horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone. Her career was cut short by illness, after she contracted Epstein-Barr Syndrome.[1]
Jensen was a longtime companion of singer-songwriter Don Henley. In 1982, Henley released his first solo album, I Can't Stand Still, and dedicated it to her. She is credited for "Harmony Vocals" on the song "Johnny Can't Read," and is credited in the liner notes for having composed the piano intro and interlude on the song "A Month of Sundays" on Henley's 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. She appeared in the video for Henley's song "Not Enough Love In the World" in 1985. Henley and Jensen were engaged, but they separated in 1986.[1] Jensen helped Henley establish The Walden Woods Project in the early 1990s, an organization dedicated to protecting the Walden Woods in Massachusetts from development.
Filmography
| Film and Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Maryann Dalton / Teri Turner | Episode: "Death Surf" |
| 1978 | Battlestar Galactica | Athena | Feature film |
| 1978-79 | Battlestar Galactica | Athena | Main role (21 episodes) |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Suzanna Wells | Episode: "Love Me, Love My Dog/Poor Little Rich Girl/The Decision" |
| 1980 | Beyond the Reef | Diana | Feature film |
| 1980 | Fantasy Island | Valerie | Episode: "Jungle Man/Mary Ann and Miss Sophisticate" |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Sharon Patrick | Episode: "The Mallory Quest/Julie, the Vamp/The Offer" |
| 1981 | Deadly Blessing | Martha Schmidt | Feature film |
Notes
- 1 2 Marc Eliot, To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles, Da Capo Press, 2004, p. 224