Whatever Happened to Maren Jensen from ‘Battlestar Galactica’?

Dave Sundstrom Yesterday, 10:54 am

Battlestar Galactica Maren Jensen — Everett Collection

The original Battlestar Galactica, which aired from 1978 to 1979 on ABC, featured many wonderful actresses, including the forever-young Jane Seymour. However, none were more strikingly beautiful than model turned actress Maren Jensen, who played Lieutenant Athena, Commander Adama’s only daughter.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, (from left): Maren Jensen, Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch, 1978-79.

The role of Athena was originally intended to be central to the TV series. Yet, after “Greetings from Earth” — a two-parter that made up the 19th and 20th episodes of the show — Maren departed from the series, even though she was still credited in the season’s four remaining episodes. So, what exactly happened?

Based on my research, it appears Maren’s departure from the show was, at least in part, due to her rocky relationship with the show’s producer, Glenn A. Larson. Larson reportedly lost patience with the novice actress, especially when she struggled to deliver lines with the resonance that her counterparts seemed to summon effortlessly.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Maren Jensen, (left), Dirk Benedict, 1979,

Maren talked about her struggle to transition from modeling to acting with journalist James Calloway in 1978. Here’s what she said way back then: “Acting and modeling are really two totally different fields … I mean, they’re the same in terms of publicity, but completely different in what’s required of you.”

As the first and only season of Battlestar Galactica progressed, it’s difficult not to notice how Anne Lockhart‘s Lt. Sheba character gained more prominence in the storylines. One can only imagine how challenging the whole ordeal was for Maren. There had been so much publicity about her being on the show, so to then have the role of Athena slowly diminish over the course of the season must have been incredibly difficult.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Maren Jensen, Dirk Benedict, Richard Hatch, Lorne Greene, 1978 - 1979.

Despite this setback, Maren was not one to quit. She wouldn’t let her experience on the set of Battlestar Galactica keep her down. Maren soon appeared on programs like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Battle of the Network Stars and in 1981, starred in the Wes Craven film Deadly Blessing, alongside Sharon Stone. Many believe Maren was truly beginning to hold her own as an actress, with her work in this film showing significant promise.

Unfortunately, after Deadly Blessing, Maren contracted Epstein-Barr syndrome, a virus that, even today, is not fully understood. In adults, its symptoms can include fatigue, fever, inflamed throat, swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, swollen liver, or a rash. It’s certainly not a good thing to experience.

Around the same time, Maren began a relationship with singer Don Henley of The Eagles. It was a bond that would last for years. In 1985, Maren made a cameo in Henley’s video “Not Enough Love in the World.” Although they broke up shortly afterward, Jensen and Henley remained friends and have worked together for causes they believe in. For instance, Jensen helped Henley establish the Walden Woods Project in the early nineties, an organization dedicated to protecting the Walden Woods area in Concord, Massachusetts, from development.

Maren Jensen has been very purposeful in stepping away from the limelight. In order to respect that privacy, no further details about her personal life will be shared here. So, there you have it. At the end of the day, at the very least it’s good to know that it wasn’t a Cylon that ended Maren’s time on Battlestar Galactica.