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Craig T. Nelson

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Craig T. Nelson
Nelson at the Paleyfest 2013 panel for Parenthood
Born
Craig Theodore Nelson[1]

(1944-04-04) April 4, 1944 (age 80)[1]
EducationLewis and Clark High School
Alma materUniversity of Arizona
OccupationActor
Years active1969–present
Spouses
  • Robin McCarthy
    (m. 1965; div. 1978)
  • Doria Cook
    (m. 1987)
Children3
RelativesAshley Jones (former-daughter-in-law)

Craig Theodore Nelson[1] (born April 4, 1944)[2] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Hayden Fox in the ABC sitcom Coach (for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in the 1980 film Stir Crazy, Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist, Burt Nickerson in All the Right Moves (1983), Peter Dellaplane in Action Jackson, Chief Howard Hyde in Turner & Hooch (1989), Alex Cullen in The Devil's Advocate (1997), Chief Jack Mannion in the CBS drama The District (2000–04), The Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl (2007), and the voice of Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in the 2004 film The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel. He also starred as Zeek Braverman in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–15) and recurred as Dale Ballard in the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon (2017–24).

Early life

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Craig Theodore Nelson was born on April 4, 1944,[1][3] in Spokane, Washington.[4] He is the son of Vera Margaret (née Spindler; 1906–1971), a dancer, and Armand Gilbert Nelson (1900–1964), a businessman.[1][3]

Nelson attended Lewis and Clark High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball.[3][5]

After high school, Nelson studied at Central Washington University.[6] After flunking out, Nelson went to Yakima Valley College where he was inspired to study acting by his drama teacher, Mr. Brady.[7] From Yakima, he went on to study drama at the University of Arizona on a scholarship.[3][8]

In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.[3] When he first moved to California, he took up a job as a security guard at a soap factory until finding work as a comedy writer.[3]

Career

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Early Career

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Nelson began his show business career as a comedian.[1] He was an early member of The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe.[9] Nelson, Barry Levinson, and Rudy De Luca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at The Comedy Store[1] and on the short-lived The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (1970).[10] In 1973, Nelson left the comedy world, explaining "the standup comedy life was pretty unfulfilling for me"[10] and he settled in Montgomery Creek, California where there was no electricity and no running water; "it was contentment, The Waltons", he said.[8] Nelson had different jobs during that time including janitor, plumber, carpenter, surveyor, and high school teacher in Burney, CA. He returned to acting five years later.[10]

Film

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Nelson was featured as a prosecuting attorney who opposes Al Pacino in the 1979 film ...And Justice for All, co-written by Levinson. He then played Capt. William Woodbridge in Private Benjamin (1980), Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in Stir Crazy (1980), and Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist (1982), returning to the role for the sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). In 1983, Nelson appeared in Silkwood, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep. That same year, he played the high school football coach of Tom Cruise in the drama All the Right Moves and was one of the stars of director Sam Peckinpah's final film, The Osterman Weekend.[11] He appeared in many other motion picture roles including Major Reeves in The Killing Fields (1984), Peter Dellaplane in Action Jackson (1988), Chief Howard Hyde in Turner & Hooch (1989), Ed Peters in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and Alex Cullen in The Devil's Advocate (1997).

Television

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Nelson's first TV series was the short-lived ABC series Call to Glory from 1984 to 1985. He became well-known when he starred as college football coach Hayden Fox in the ABC sitcom Coach from 1989 to 1997,[12][13] and for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also directed many episodes of the show. He then starred as chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department Jack Mannion in the CBS drama The District from 2000 to 2004. He then played the role of the Prison Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl in 2007.

Later Career

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Nelson in 2004

Nelson provided the voice of Bob Parr (also known as Mr. Incredible) in the animated film The Incredibles (2004), and returned to the role for its long awaited sequel, Incredibles 2 (2018).[14] Nelson also reprised the role again in the video games Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure and in the Disney Infinity video game series, except for the video game and The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, where he was replaced by actor Richard McGonagle.[15]

Nelson made a three-episode guest appearance on CSI: NY from 2008 to 2009 as a "nemesis" of Gary Sinise's Taylor.[16]

His latest films include 2007's Blades of Glory as an ice skating coach, 2009's The Proposal as Ryan Reynolds' skeptical father, 2010's The Company Men as a greedy CEO, and 2018's Book Club. From 2010 to 2015, he starred in the NBC comedy-drama Parenthood as Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman, the family patriarch. His production company is Family Tree Productions.[17]

In 2017, Nelson joined the cast of Young Sheldon as Dale Ballard, a local sports store owner, Missy's baseball coach, and Meemaw's boyfriend.

Personal life

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Nelson has three children from his first marriage to Robin McCarthy, though they later divorced.[3] His second wife Doria Cook-Nelson is a freelance writer, president of a martial arts association, karate instructor, tai chi teacher and a former film and television actress who had a featured role in the movie musical Mame.[3]

Nelson is a motorsports fan and an avid racer. He first participated in the 1991 Toyota Celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix[3] and finished ninth. In 1992, he founded Screaming Eagles Racing with John Christie and entered and drove a Toyota-engined Spice SE90 in the IMSA 1994 WSC, a Lexus-engined Spice SE90 in 1995 and a Ford-engined Riley & Scott MkIII in the 1996 and 1997 championships.[18]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 The Return of Count Yorga Sgt. O'Connor
1973 Scream Blacula Scream Sarge
1974 Flesh Gordon The Great God Porno Voice, uncredited
1979 ...And Justice for All Frank Bowers
1980 Stir Crazy Deputy Warden Ward Wilson
The Formula Geologist #2
Where the Buffalo Roam Cop on Stand
Private Benjamin Capt. William Woodbridge
1982 Poltergeist Steve Freeling
1983 Man, Woman and Child Bernie Ackerman
Silkwood Winston
All the Right Moves Coach Vern Nickerson
The Osterman Weekend Bernard Osterman
1984 The Killing Fields Major Reeves
1986 Poltergeist II: The Other Side Steve Freeling
1987 Rachel River Marlyn Huutula
1988 Action Jackson Peter Dellaplane
Me and Him Peter Aramis
1989 Red Riding Hood Sir Godfrey / Percival
Turner & Hooch Chief Howard Hyde
Troop Beverly Hills Fred Nefler
1996 Ghosts of Mississippi Ed Peters
I'm Not Rappaport The Cowboy
1997 The Devil's Advocate Alexander Cullen
Wag the Dog Senator John Neal Uncredited
2000 The Skulls Litten Mandrake
2001 All Over Again Cole Twain
2004 The Incredibles Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible Voice
2005 The Family Stone Kelly Stone
2007 Blades of Glory Coach Darren Goddard
2009 The Proposal Joe Paxton
2010 The Company Men James Salinger
2011 Soul Surfer Dr. David Rovinsky
2015 Get Hard Martin Barrow
2016 Gold Kenny Wells
2018 Book Club Bruce Jutsum
Incredibles 2 Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible Voice
2023 Book Club: The Next Chapter Bruce Jutsum

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1973 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Charlie the mechanic Episode: "Mary Richards and the Incredible Plant Lady"
1978 Charlie's Angels Stone Episode: "Angels on the Run"
Wonder Woman Sam Episode: "The Deadly Sting"
1979 How the West Was Won Tugger Episode: "The Rustler"
Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker Driver Television film
1980 The Promise of Love Major Landau
The White Shadow Father Phil Episode: "A Christmas Story"
1981 Inmates: A Love Story Daniels Television film
WKRP in Cincinnati Charlie Bathgate Episode: "Out to Lunch"
Murder in Texas Jack Ramsey Television film
1981–1982 Private Benjamin Capt. Braddock / Col. Hogan Recurring role; 3 episodes
1982 Paper Dolls Michael Caswell Television film
Chicago Story Kenneth A. Dutton 13 episodes
1984–1985 Call to Glory Col. Raynor Sarnac 23 episodes
1986 Alex: The Life of a Child Frank Deford Television film
The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story Senator Edward Kennedy
1989 Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story Major Bill Harcourt
1989–1997 Coach Coach Hayden Fox Series regular; 198 episodes
1990 Drug Wars: The Camarena Story Harley Steinmetz Television miniseries
Extreme Close-Up Philip Television film
1991 The Josephine Baker Story Walter Winchell
1993 The Switch Russ Fine
The Fire Next Time Drew Morgan Television miniseries
1994 Ride with the Wind Frank Shelby Television film
Probable Cause Lieutenant Louis Whitmire
The Lies Boys Tell Larry
1996 If These Walls Could Talk Jim Harris Television film ("1996" segment)
1998 Creature Dr. Simon Chase Television miniseries
1999 To Serve and Protect Tom Carr
2000 The Huntress Ralph Thorson Episode: "Pilot"
Dirty Pictures Simon Leis Television film
2000–2004 The District Chief Jack Mannion Series regular; 89 episodes
2001 Yes, Dear TV Actor Episode: "Jimmy's Jimmy", Uncredited
2002 The Agency Chief Jack Mannion Episode: "Doublecrossover"
2007 My Name Is Earl Warden Jerry Hazelwood 4 episodes
2008–2009 CSI: NY Robert Dunbrook 3 episodes
2009 Monk Judge Ethan Rickover 2 episodes
2010–2015 Parenthood Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman Series regular; 91 episodes
2013 Hawaii Five-0 Tyler Cain Episode: "He welo 'oihana"
2015 Grace and Frankie Guy 5 episodes
2017 Raised by Wolves Paul "Grampy" Kosinski Television film
2019–2024 Young Sheldon Dale Ballard Recurring role
2024 Pupstruction PawPaw Voice; episode: "Petsgiving at PawPaw's/Chilly Dogs"
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Dale Ballard Episode: "Thanksgiving"

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible
2013 Disney Infinity
2014 Disney Infinity 2.0
2015 Disney Infinity 3.0 [19]

Theme parks

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 Incredicoaster Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible Voice

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1983–1984 Friends Harold (Okie) Peterson
1998 Ah, Wilderness! Nat Miller

Awards and nominations

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Year Title Accolade Results
1990 Coach Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
1991 Nominated
1992 Golden Globe Award, Best Lead Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Won
Viewers for Quality Television Award, Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated
1993 American Television Award, Best Actor in a Situation Comedy Nominated
Golden Globe Award, Best Lead Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Award, Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated
1994 Golden Globe Award, Best Lead Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Nominated
1995 Nominated
1996 Ghosts of Mississippi Award Circuit Community Award, Best Cast Ensemble Nominated
2001 The District Actor of the Year in a New Series Nominated
2002 Satellite Award, Best Lead Actor in a Series - Drama Nominated
2004 Prism Award, Best Performance in a Drama Series Episode Nominated
2005 The Incredibles MTV Movie + TV Award, Best On-Screen Team (shared with Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox & Sarah Vowell) Nominated
The Family Stone Satellite Award, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Nominated
The Incredibles Visual Effects Society Award, Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture Won
2006 The Family Stone AARP Movies for Grownups Award, Best Grownup Love Story (shared with Diane Keaton) Won
2010 Ojai Film Festival Award, Lifetime Achievement award Won
2012 Parenthood Prism Award, Male Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline Won
2015 Critics Choice Television Award, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Harris, Will (September 26, 2013). "Craig T. Nelson on comedy, chemistry, and more". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 29, 2019. I've never, ever been Craig Richard Nelson. Ever! My birth certificate says Craig Theodore.
  2. ^ Mike Rose, cleveland com (April 4, 2024). "Famous birthdays list for today, April 4, 2024 includes celebrities Robert Downey Jr., Hugo Weaving". cleveland. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Knutzen, Eirik (October 1, 2000). "Craig T. Nelson Is D.c.'s Top Cop". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. ^ Vista, Francesca Maxine (May 19, 2023). "Craig T. Nelson visiting Avista Stadium for Father's Day". KREM. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "Distinguished Lewis and Clark High School alumni". Spokane Public Schools. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  6. ^ Armstrong, Liahna (September 25, 2014). "Former Wildcat Craig T. Nelson coming to local film festival". Daily Record. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. ^ Holcomb, Kim (August 28, 2018) [First published May 2, 2018]. "Northwest native Craig T. Nelson made his way to Hollywood by way of Yakima". KING-TV. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Boss, Kit (August 30, 1992). "Craig T. Nelson's Life In The Fast Lane". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "History: In the Beginning". The Groundlings. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Logan, Joe (January 8, 1990). "Craig T. Nelson's Slow Path To Stardom The Star Of Abc's "Coach\" Twice Flunked Out Of College. For A While, He Was A Father On Welfare. Now His Film Credits Include \"silkwood\" And \"poltergeist," And Tonight He's In An Nbc Mini-series". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. ^ Williams, Tony (2012). Bliss, Michael (ed.). Peckinpah Today: New Essays on the Films of Sam Peckinpah. Carbondale and Edwardsville, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press. pp. 147–153. ISBN 978-0-8093-3106-2.
  12. ^ Hibberd, James (March 26, 2015). "NBC Reviving Coach With Craig T. Nelson". Time. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 26, 2015). "Craig T. Nelson to Star in 'Coach' Follow-Up Series for NBC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  14. ^ Ching, Albert (July 14, 2017). "D23 Expo: Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  15. ^ Navarro, Alex (November 3, 2004). "The Incredibles Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  16. ^ Eng, Joyce (December 3, 2008). "Craig T. Nelson to Guest on CSI: NY". TV Guide. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  17. ^ Wethington, Jessica (June 7, 2001). "Emmy performers: Craig T. Nelson". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  18. ^ "'Coach' becomes first-class racer". Las Vegas Sun. September 19, 1997. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  19. ^ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
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