Craig T. Nelson
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Craig Theodore Nelson<ref name="club">Template:Cite web</ref> (born April 4, 1944)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Stir Crazy (1980), Steve Freeling in Poltergeist (1982), Burt Nickerson in All the Right Moves (1983), Peter Dellaplane in Action Jackson (1988), 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), Coach Goddard in Blades of Glory, 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 sitcoms Young Sheldon (2019–24) and its spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024–).
Early life
Craig Theodore Nelson was born on April 4, 1944,<ref name="club" /><ref name="mcall" /> in Spokane, Washington.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is the son of Vera Margaret (née Spindler; 1906–1971), a dancer, and Armand Gilbert Nelson (1901–1965), a businessman.<ref name="club" /><ref name="mcall" />
Nelson attended Lewis and Clark High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball.<ref name="mcall" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After high school, Nelson studied at Central Washington University.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After flunking out, Nelson went to Yakima Valley College where he was inspired to study acting by his drama teacher, Mr. Brady.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From Yakima, he went on to study drama at the University of Arizona on a scholarship.<ref name="mcall" /><ref name="seattletimes">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.<ref name="mcall" /> 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.<ref name="mcall" />
Career
Early career
Nelson began his show business career as a comedian.<ref name="club" /> He was an early member of The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nelson, Barry Levinson, and Rudy De Luca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at The Comedy Store<ref name="club" /> and on the short-lived The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (1970).<ref name="philly" /> In 1973, Nelson left the comedy world, explaining "the standup comedy life was pretty unfulfilling for me"<ref name="philly">Template:Cite web</ref> and he settled in Montgomery Creek, California where there was no electricity and no running water; "it was contentment, The Waltons", he said.<ref name="seattletimes" /> 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.<ref name="philly" />
Film
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 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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
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,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 went on to play the role of the Prison Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl in 2007.
Later career
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).<ref name="D23CastConfirmed">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Nelson's subsequent films include 2005's The Family Stone as Diane Keaton's husband, 2007's Blades of Glory as an ice skating coach, 2009's The Proposal as Ryan Reynolds's skeptical father, 2010's The Company Men as a greedy CEO, and 2018's Book Club.
Nelson made a three-episode guest appearance on CSI: NY from 2008 to 2009 as a "nemesis" of Gary Sinise's Taylor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
From 2019 to 2024, Nelson was part of the cast of Young Sheldon playing Dale Ballard, a local sports store owner, Missy's baseball coach, and Meemaw's boyfriend. In 2024, he continued the role on its spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
Personal life
Nelson has three children from his first marriage to Robin McCarthy, though they later divorced.<ref name="mcall">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="mcall" />
Nelson is a motorsports fan and an avid racer. He first participated in the 1991 Toyota Celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix<ref name="mcall" /> 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 Mk III in the 1996 and 1997 championships.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the 2008 United States presidential election, he endorsed John McCain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, Nelson appeared on The Glenn Beck Program to announce that he was considering no longer paying income tax.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same year, he appeared on Hannity to criticize government expansion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Early in his career, Nelson struggled with alcohol and substance addiction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Nelson is also a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan. On January 5, 2025 he sang the National Anthem at Lambeau Field.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He would later tell reporters "Me and the Packers go way back."
Filmography
Film
| 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 | |
| 2025 | Green and Gold | Buck |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Charlie the mechanic | Episode: "Mary Richards and the Incredible Plant Lady" |
| 1974 | Mary Tyler Moore Show | Charlie (as Craig Nelson) | 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 | 3 episodes |
| 1982 | Paper Dolls | Michael Caswell | Television film |
| Chicago Story | Kenneth A. Dutton | Recurring role | |
| 1984–1985 | Call to Glory | Col. Raynor Sarnac | Main role |
| 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 | Main role |
| 1990 | Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Harley Steinmetz | 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 | 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 | 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 | Main role |
| 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 | Main role |
| 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 |
| 2024–2025 | Pupstruction | PawPaw | Voice; 2 episodes |
| 2024-present | Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage | Dale Ballard | 3 episodes |
Video games
| 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 | <ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> |
Theme parks
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Incredicoaster | Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible | Voice |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–1984 | Friends | Harold (Okie) Peterson | |
| 1998 | Ah, Wilderness! | Nat Miller |
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 1944 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- Central Washington University alumni
- Male actors from Washington (state)
- American male comedians
- Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- University of Arizona alumni
- 24 Hours of Daytona drivers
- Comedians from Washington (state)