Craig T. Nelson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Craig T. Nelson
Nelson at the Paleyfest 2013 panel for Parenthood
Born	Craig Theodore Nelson (1944-04-04) April 4, 1944 (age 81) Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Education	Lewis and Clark High School
Alma mater	University of Arizona
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1969–present
Spouse(s)	Robin McCarthy ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1978)​ Doria Cook ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	3
Relatives	Ashley Jones (former-daughter-in-law)

Craig Theodore Nelson (born April 4, 1944) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Hayden Fox in the TV show Coach. He even won an Emmy Award for this role!

You might also know his voice as Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles movies. He has been in many other films and TV shows. These include Poltergeist, Parenthood, and Young Sheldon.

Early Life and Education

Craig Theodore Nelson was born in Spokane, Washington, on April 4, 1944. His mom, Vera, was a dancer, and his dad, Armand, was a businessman.

He went to Lewis and Clark High School. There, he was a talented athlete, playing football, baseball, and basketball.

After high school, Nelson studied at Central Washington University. He later went to Yakima Valley College. His drama teacher, Mr. Brady, inspired him to study acting. He then earned a scholarship to study drama at the University of Arizona.

In 1969, Nelson left college and moved to Hollywood. He wanted to become an actor. When he first arrived in California, he worked as a security guard at a soap factory. Later, he found work as a comedy writer.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting in Comedy

Nelson began his career in entertainment as a comedian. He was one of the first members of The Groundlings. This group performs improv and sketch comedy shows. Nelson, along with Barry Levinson and Rudy De Luca, formed their own comedy team. They often performed at The Comedy Store. They also appeared on a TV show called The Tim Conway Comedy Hour.

In 1973, Nelson decided to leave the comedy scene. He felt that stand-up comedy was not fulfilling for him. He moved to a quiet place in California. There, he lived without electricity or running water. He said it was a peaceful time, like the TV show The Waltons. During this time, he worked many different jobs. He was a janitor, plumber, carpenter, and even a high school teacher. Five years later, he returned to acting.

Big Screen Roles

Nelson started getting roles in movies. In 1979, he played a lawyer in ...And Justice for All. He was also in Private Benjamin (1980).

He played Steve Freeling in the scary movie Poltergeist (1982). He returned for the sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). In 1983, he appeared in Silkwood with Meryl Streep. That same year, he played a high school football coach in All the Right Moves. He also starred in The Osterman Weekend.

Nelson continued to appear in many films. These include The Killing Fields (1984) and Action Jackson (1988). He was also in Turner & Hooch (1989) and The Devil's Advocate (1997).

Television Success

Nelson's first TV series was Call to Glory (1984–1985). He became very well-known for his role as college football coach Hayden Fox. This was in the ABC sitcom Coach, which ran from 1989 to 1997. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for this role. He also directed many episodes of the show.

Later, he starred as police chief Jack Mannion in the CBS drama The District. This show aired from 2000 to 2004. In 2007, he played the Prison Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl.

Voice Acting and Recent Work

Nelson in 2004

Nelson lent his voice to the character Bob Parr, also known as Mr. Incredible. He voiced this superhero in the animated film The Incredibles (2004). He returned to voice Mr. Incredible in the sequel, Incredibles 2 (2018). He also voiced the character in some video games.

From 2010 to 2015, he starred in the NBC comedy-drama Parenthood. He played Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman, the family's wise patriarch. His production company is called Family Tree Productions.

In 2019, Nelson joined the cast of Young Sheldon. He plays Dale Ballard, a local sports store owner. Dale is also Missy's baseball coach and Meemaw's boyfriend.

His recent films include Blades of Glory (2007) and The Proposal (2009). He also appeared in The Company Men (2010) and Book Club (2018).

Personal Life

Nelson has three children from his first marriage to Robin McCarthy. They later divorced. His second wife, Doria Cook-Nelson, is a writer. She is also a martial arts expert and teacher. She used to be an actress in films and TV.

Nelson is a big fan of motorsports and loves racing cars. He first raced in the Toyota Celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix in 1991. In 1992, he started his own racing team called Screaming Eagles Racing. He competed in several racing championships.

He is also a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers football team. In 2025, he sang the National Anthem at Lambeau Field. He told reporters, "Me and the Packers go way back."

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theme parks

Awards and Nominations

Craig T. Nelson has won and been nominated for many awards during his career.

Images for kids

• Craig T Nelson at PaleyFest 2013.jpg

  Nelson at the Paleyfest 2013 panel for Parenthood

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  Nelson signing autographs in 2004

See also

In Spanish: Craig T. Nelson para niños