Christian Clemenson facts for kids

Christian Dayton Clemenson (born March 17, 1958) is an American actor. He is famous for playing the character Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the TV show Boston Legal. For this role, he was nominated for three Emmy Awards and won one in 2006.

Clemenson has also appeared in many popular movies. These include Hannah and Her Sisters, Broadcast News, Apollo 13, and The Big Lebowski. He also played Tom Burnett, a real-life hero from United Flight 93, in the movie United 93. More recently, he played prosecutor William Hodgman in the TV series American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

Early Life and Education

Christian Clemenson was born and grew up in Humboldt, Iowa. His parents, Ruth and Ernest Clemenson, owned a drug store. When he was a teenager, he delivered the Des Moines Register newspaper. The newspaper gave scholarships to top schools, and because he was a great student, he won one.

This scholarship allowed him to attend Phillips Academy, a well-known school in Massachusetts. At Phillips, he took part in many school plays, which sparked his love for acting. After graduating in 1976, he went to Harvard College.

At Harvard, Clemenson continued to act in plays and was known for being a very talented performer. Critics for the school newspaper praised his acting in comedies and in plays by William Shakespeare. After graduating from Harvard in 1980, he studied acting at the Yale School of Drama. He finished his studies at Yale in 1984 and then moved to Los Angeles to start his career.

Acting Career

Clemenson started his career by playing many different types of characters in movies and on TV. He played a law student in The Paper Chase and a teacher on the show Family Ties. He also had a main role as a lawyer named Socrates Poole in the western series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

Over the years, he appeared in many famous films. He was a flight surgeon in Apollo 13, a police officer in The Big Lebowski, and a doctor in the movie And the Band Played On.

Boston Legal

Clemenson became very well known for his role as Jerry "Hands" Espenson on the TV show Boston Legal. Jerry was a brilliant but quirky lawyer. For playing this character, Clemenson won an Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006. He was nominated for the same award again in 2007. He was a part of the show until it ended in 2008.

Other Notable Roles

In 2006, Clemenson played Tom Burnett in the movie United 93. The film tells the story of the passengers who fought back against hijackers on September 11, 2001.

He also had a recurring role as Abel Koontz on the TV show Veronica Mars. In 1999, he played a very different kind of character in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He played a demon named Balthazar, which required him to wear a large costume and lots of makeup. This role showed how much he could change for a part.

From 2009 to 2012, Clemenson played Dr. Tom Loman, the medical examiner, on the popular show CSI: Miami. In 2016, he appeared as prosecutor Bill Hodgman in the award-winning series American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

Selected Film and Television Roles

Here are some of Christian Clemenson's most well-known roles.

Film

• Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) as Larry
• Broadcast News (1987) as Bobby
• Apollo 13 (1995) as Dr. Charles Berry
• The Big Lebowski (1998) as Younger Cop
• United 93 (2006) as Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.
• J. Edgar (2011) as Inspector Schell
• Live by Night (2016) as Ritz Investor
• No Man of God (2021) as Dr. James Dobson

Television

• The Golden Girls (1985) as The Salesman
• Family Ties (1988) as Mr. Flaherty
• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993–1994) as Socrates Poole
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999) as Balthazar
• Veronica Mars (2004–2005) as Abel Koontz
• Boston Legal (2005–2008) as Jerry Espenson
• CSI: Miami (2009–2012) as Dr. Tom Loman
• American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson (2016) as Bill Hodgman
• Colony (2017) as Dan Bennett
• Julia (2022-2023) as James Beard