Early life
Olav Roger Øvregård was born on May 18, 1933, in Sandnes, a coastal city in southwestern Norway. He immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, and graduated from Oakland High School in Oakland, California, in 1952. He adopted the professional name Erik Holland for his acting career.1
Career
Holland's professional career began in the early 1960s. One of his earliest known credits was the 1962 film Surftide 77. He quickly found steady work in American television throughout the decade, appearing in series such as The Fugitive and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In 1968, he played Ekor, a member of the time-accelerated Scalosian civilization, in the Star Trek: The Original Series third-season episode "Wink of an Eye," which aired on November 29, 1968.3
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Holland became a reliable presence in American television, accumulating credits across many of the era's most prominent series: The Mod Squad, The Six Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, Mission: Impossible, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, MacGyver, and Baywatch. He also appeared in Galactica 1980 as the 2nd German Officer in the three-part episode "Galactica Discovers Earth," appearing specifically in Parts II and III.4
In 1980, he appeared in the NBC television film The Diary of Anne Frank, playing Mr. Kraler, the Dutch businessman who helps shelter the Frank family.5
His three most prominent feature film roles came in the 1990s. In Roland Emmerich's science fiction epic Stargate (1994), he played Professor Paul Langford, the archaeologist who discovers the ancient portal in Egypt.6 In James Cameron's Titanic (1997), he played Olaf Dahl, the father of Helga Dahl.7 Both films were major commercial successes, and his appearances in them broadened his profile beyond television work.
Later in his career, Holland appeared in the television series Cheers and The West Wing, the latter in 2001.
Ghostbusters II
In Ghostbusters II (1989), Holland portrayed the Fire Commissioner of New York City.8 The character appears in Chapter 21 "Tenth Level of Hell," set on New Year's Eve 1989 at New York City Hall, where city officials convene to assess the scale of the supernatural emergency. The Fire Commissioner reports that the Battery is swamped and that his department has received more than three thousand calls since midnight. He shares the scene with the Police Commissioner, played by Phillip Baker Hall.8
The role is not to be confused with the Fire Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department who appears in the original 1984 Ghostbusters film, played by a different actor.
Personal life
Holland married actress Marina Ghane on June 16, 1969, and the couple remained married until his death. They had one child together.1
Death
Erik Holland died on April 6, 2020, in Studio City, California, at the age of 86.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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IMDb, "Erik Holland: Biography," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390683/bio/. Birth name Olav Roger Øvregård, born May 18, 1933, Sandnes, Norway; graduated Oakland High School, Oakland CA, 1952; married Marina Ghane (born Guitty L. Ghane) June 16, 1969; one child; died April 6, 2020, Studio City, California.
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IMDb, "Erik Holland," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390683/.
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"Wink of an Eye," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wink_of_an_Eye. Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 11; original US air date November 29, 1968; Erik Holland listed in guest cast as Ekor.
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"Erik Holland," Battlestar Wiki, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Erik_Holland. Character: 2nd German Officer; episodes: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II" and "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part III."
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IMDb, "The Diary of Anne Frank (TV Movie 1980): Erik Holland as Mr. Kraler," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080625/characters/nm0390683.
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IMDb, "Stargate (1994): Erik Holland as Prof. Paul Langford," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111282/characters/nm0390683.
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IMDb, "Titanic (1997): Erik Holland as Olaf Dahl," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/characters/nm0390683.
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Spook Central, "Ghostbusters II Screen Credits," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.spookcentral.tk/sclib/ghostbusters-ii-screen-credits. "Fire Commissioner: Erik Holland / Police Commissioner: Phillip Baker Hall."
