Craig T. Nelson: Summary

Recent Role:: Himself on Today

Gender:: Male

Birthday:: 4-4-1944

Birthplace:: Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

Birth Name:: Craig Richard Nelson

AKA:: Craig Nelson

The son of Bing Crosby's drummer, tall, low-key and expressively deadpan actor Craig T. Nelson began his career in radio as a writer-performer on the L.A. area "Lohman and Barkley Show". Together with his writing partner Barry Levinson, he formed a stand-up comedy act and wrote comedy (along with Rudy DeLuca) for shows like "The Tim Conway Show" (CBS, 1970) and "The John Byner Comedy Hour" (CBS, 1972). In 1973, Nelson left show business, moving with his wife and children to Mount Shasta in Northern California where he worked as a janitor, teacher, surveyor and carpenter before returning to Los Angeles four and a half years later. His experiences as a "drop-out" would lead him to produce a series of 52 documentaries syndicated under the title "America Still", which explored why artists choose a rural lifestyle. He resumed his career, making his feature debut in "...And Justice for All" (1979), scripted by his old friend Levinson, and has not slowed down since.

Nelson first came to prominence as the father in the movie "Poltergeist" (1982), a role he would reprise in the inferior sequel "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" (1986). His high school football coach role in "All the Right Moves" (1983), starring Tom Cruise, served as a trial run for the part with which most people associate him, Hayden Fox, the hard-boiled but good-humored tough guy head coach of the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles, on the popular long-running sitcom "Coach" (ABC, 1989-97). Emmy-nominated three times for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the sitcom, Nelson won the award for the 1991-92 season and served as its executive producer from 1992. Prior to "Coach", he had played a district attorney on the short-lived "Chicago Story" (NBC, 1984) and won critical praise as US Air Force Colonel Raynor Sarnac in "Call to Glory" (ABC, 1984-85). Nelson added director to his credits with the last episode of "Call to Glory" and also helmed numerous episodes of "Coach". He adapted a Harry Grant story to the screen for his starring turn in the ABC movie "Ride with the Wind" (1994), which he also executive produced.

Though Nelson has worked extensively on TV, his collaboration with director Brian Gibson ("Poltergeist II") yielded three notable gems. He appeared in the critically-acclaimed HBO movie "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" (1989), played a drug enforcement agent in the Emmy-winning miniseries "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story" (NBC, 1990) and portrayed gossip columnist Walter Winchell in "The Josephine Baker Story" (HBO, 1991). He also starred in the CBS sci-fi miniseries "The Fire Next Time" (1993) and acted the part of Kirk Douglas's son in "Take Mme Home Again" (NBC, 1994) among his many small screen performances. Equally prolific in features, Nelson played opposite Shelley Long in "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989), created the role of Chief Hyde in "Turner and Hooch", was a menacing drug dealer in "I'm Not Rappaport" (1996) and a district attorney in "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996). Following his portrayal of a Donald Trump-like real estate developer in "The Devil's Advocate" (1997), he was reunited with Barry Levinson in the David Mamet-scripted "Wag the Dog" (1997), co-starring with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. In 2000 he starred in "The Skulls" and now is back on TV in "The District". The son of Bing Crosby's drummer, tall, low-key and expressively deadpan actor Craig T. Nelson began his career in radio as a writer-performer on the L.A. area "Lohman and Barkley Show". Together with his writing partner Barry Levinson, he formed a stand-up comedy act and wrote comedy (along with Rudy DeLuca) for shows like "The Tim Conway Show" (CBS, 1970) and "The John Byner Comedy...

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Scrubs' Dr. Cox diagnosed for new drama
John C. McGinley gets serious in CBS' Back; Parenthood borrows from ER, Dirty Sexy.
- 03/24/09 3:55 PM
- 11 comments \ add yours
CSI to host Craig T. Nelson
Coach paying a three-episode visit to CBS's hit crime procedural; Nelson will play Mac's nemesis.
- 12/03/08 12:27 PM
- 12 comments \ add yours
Cast updates: Earl, Jezebel, View
Alyssa Milano, "Coach" get major roles in My Name is Earl; Dianne Wiest plays Jezebel James mom; View fills out.
- 09/06/07 11:40 AM
- 10 comments \ add yours

1.5
00
Zelemont
member since: Jan 14, 2006
Sellout. ...Continue »
I was young when coach was on, but back then I didn't like it. It apparently wasn't good enough to warrant reruns. This review has little to do with Craig T. Nelson's acting skills, and everything to do with the commercial he is currently in for DirecTV. It contains scenes from poltergeist, which starred Nelson, who, if I remember correctly, did a great job in it. But this is irrelevant to me now, because the commercial is among the worst on television. Some people hate this commercial because they consider the use of the deceased Heather O'Rourke in a commercial as tasteless. Apparently, her mother approved the commercial because it was a "tribute" to her. Sounds like her mom sold out even more than Craig T. Though it is a disgrace to Heather's memory, that has nothing to do with my rating here. I simply believe that Craig T. is a sellout, and he has terrible taste if he thought this commercial would be any good. It is not. And neither is he, though he may have been in the past.
10/14/08 09:52pm | report abuse
10
10
amauriel
member since: Jun 3, 2005
empty ...Continue »
Craig T. Nelson is a true actor. You really believe that he got into acting because he loves it for what it is. You'll never see him in any tabloids and you won't hear any gossip about him. In his roles, you sense more realism than many other actor's who are considered more talented than he. Of all of his roles in all of his movies, my favorite has to be "The Skulls."
02/21/07 11:29am | report abuse
9.7
00
Inuyashadude101
member since: Jul 19, 2005
You rock, Coach! ...Continue »
I've heard of Craig T Nelson through 3 ways, 1: I heard him as Mr. Incredible in the Incredibles, 2: He was mentioned in Whose Line is it Anyway, a really good show, and 3: COACH! Coach was one of the best comedy shows next to Whose Line is it Anyway that I've ever watched! And Craig T Nelson was the bomb in Coach! He was Coach Hayden!
09/10/05 01:46pm | report abuse