Svenson landed the role of Swede, the gentle giant engaged to the schoolteacher on "Here Come the Brides". When the series finished its run, he segued to TV longforms, appearing in "The Lost Treasure" (1971), the Western "The Bravos" (ABC, 1972) and as the Creature in an acclaimed version of "Frankenstein" (ABC, 1973).
Svenson made his feature debut in "Maurie/Big Mo" (1973), as a teammate of an injured basketball player (Bernie Casey). He is perhaps best remembered for succeeding Joe Don Baker in the role of Sheriff Buford Pusser, the crusading, fair-minded Southern law enforcer, in "Walking Tall, Part II" (1975) and "Final Chapter - Walking Tall" (1977). Svenson also played the role in the short-lived NBC TV series. Most of his subsequent work has been in action-adventure features, such as "Delta Force" (1986), in which he was the captain of a hijacked plane. In the 1980s and 90s, many of his films were made for independent companies and had theatrical runs overseas with mostly home video distribution in the US (e.g., "Savage Land" 1994, "Tides of War" 1994 and "Private Obsessions" 1995).