Maren Kawehilani Jensen (born September 23, 1956) is an American former model and actress, best known for portraying Lieutenant Athena in the 1978–79 television series ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
''. Jensen also made guest appearances in several US television series, such as ''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' and ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
''.
Biography
Maren Jensen was born in
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...
. 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. Jensen attended
Herbert Hoover High School from 1971 to 1974, and after graduating received a scholarship to attend
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, where she majored in Theater Arts and Law.
While still in college, Jensen began a modeling career. She was featured on the covers of ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' 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
''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' (re-titled ''The Hardy Boys'' for season three) is an American television mystery series based on the ''Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' juvenile novels. The series, which ran from January 30, 1977, to Janu ...
'' in 1977. In 1978, Jensen starred in ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
'' in the role of Athena. She was featured on the cover of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' in April 1979. Her last known role was in
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's 1981 horror film ''
Deadly Blessing
''Deadly Blessing'' is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven. The film tells the story of a strange figure committing murder in a contemporary community that is not far from another community that believes in ancient evil and curses. ...
'' alongside
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
. Her career was cut short by illness, after she contracted
Epstein-Barr Syndrome.
Jensen was a longtime companion of singer-songwriter
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...
. In 1982, Henley released his first solo album, ''
I Can't Stand Still
''I Can't Stand Still'' is the debut solo studio album by American musician Don Henley, drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles. It was released in August 1982 by Asylum Records. Henley, Danny Kortchmar and Greg Ladanyi produced the album. ''I ...
,'' 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
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
intro and interlude on the song "A Month of Sundays" on Henley's 1984 album ''
Building the Perfect Beast
''Building the Perfect Beast'' is the second solo studio album by American rock singer Don Henley, released on November 19, 1984 by Geffen Records. A commercial and critical success, it is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, mor ...
.'' 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.
[Marc Eliot, ''To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles''](_blank)
Da Capo Press, 2004, p. 224 Jensen helped Henley establish The
Walden Woods Project The Walden Woods Project (WWP) is a nonprofit organization located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, devoted to the legacy of Henry David Thoreau and the preservation of Walden Woods, the forest around Walden Pond that spans Lincoln and Concord, Massachuse ...
in the early 1990s, an organization dedicated to protecting the Walden Woods area in
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the conflu ...
from development.
Jensen was also reported to be married to John Kugelberg but they were also reported to be separated. They have kept everything about their relationship very private and out of the public eye, including their marriage and separation date. Neither has shared any photos together. She has been reported as living in the New York metro area
and has been returning to the Los Angeles metro area from time to time because of business, family, and friends.
Filmography
References
External links
*
Jensen on Super-Hair.net "Ultimate 50"*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Maren
American television actresses
1956 births
Living people
People with chronic fatigue syndrome
People from Arcadia, California
Actresses from California
Female models from California
UCLA Film School alumni
Native Hawaiian actresses
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American women