Craig Theodore Nelson
(born April 4, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Hayden Fox in the
ABC sitcom ''
Coach'' (for which he won a
), Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in the 1980 film ''
Stir Crazy'', Steve Freeling in the 1982 film ''
Poltergeist
In German folklore and ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; ; or ) is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descriptions of polter ...
'', 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
''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series that aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department.
P ...
'' (2000–04), The Warden in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sitcom ''
My Name Is Earl
''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia (producer), Greg Garcia for NBC. It aired for four seasons from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, with a total of List of My Name Is Earl episodes, 96 episodes. It wa ...
'' (2007), and the voice of
Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in the 2004 film ''
The Incredibles
''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American animated superhero film written and directed by Brad Bird. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer ...
'' 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
''Young Sheldon'' is an American sitcom television series created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro which aired on CBS from September 25, 2017, to May 16, 2024. The series is a Spin-off (media), spin-off prequel to ''The Big Bang Theory'' that ...
'' (2017–24) and its spin-off
''Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage'' (2024–).
Early life
Craig Theodore Nelson was born on April 4, 1944,
in
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. He is the son of Vera Margaret (née Spindler; 1906–1971), a dancer, and Armand Gilbert Nelson (1901–1965), a businessman.
Nelson attended
Lewis and Clark High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball.
After high school, Nelson studied at
Central Washington University. After flunking out, Nelson went to
Yakima Valley College where he was inspired to study acting by his drama teacher, Mr. Brady. From Yakima, he went on to study drama at the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
on a scholarship.
In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.
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.
Career
Early career
Nelson began his show business career as a comedian.
He was an early member of
The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe. Nelson,
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...
, and
Rudy De Luca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California.
History
The Comedy ...
and on the short-lived ''
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour
''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'' is a variety/sketch comedy television show broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1970 fall lineup on Sundays at 10:00 pm.
Background
''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'' was one of several attempts to d ...
'' (1970).
In 1973, Nelson left the comedy world, explaining "the standup comedy life was pretty unfulfilling for me"
and he settled in
Montgomery Creek, California
Montgomery Creek is a census-designated place in Shasta County, California, United States. Its population is 176 as of the 2020 census, up from 163 from the 2010 census. The town and associated creek were named after Zachariah Montgomery.
Geog ...
where there was no electricity and no running water; "it was contentment, ''
The Waltons
''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural mountainous Western Virginia of the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains / Blue Ridge Mountains chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemp ...
''", he said.
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.
Film
Nelson was featured as a prosecuting attorney who opposes
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
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
In German folklore and ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; ; or ) is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descriptions of polter ...
'' (1982), returning to the role for the sequel, ''
Poltergeist II: The Other Side'' (1986). In 1983, Nelson appeared in ''
Silkwood'', directed by
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...
and starring
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
. That same year, he played the high school football coach of
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
in the drama ''
All the Right Moves'' and was one of the stars of director
Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received two Academy Award nominations and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Instit ...
's final film, ''
The Osterman Weekend''. 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, and for which he won a
. He also directed many episodes of the show. He then starred as
chief of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
's
police department
The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citize ...
Jack Mannion in the
CBS drama ''
The District
''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series that aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department.
P ...
'' from 2000 to 2004. He then played the role of the Prison Warden in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
sitcom ''
My Name Is Earl
''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia (producer), Greg Garcia for NBC. It aired for four seasons from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, with a total of List of My Name Is Earl episodes, 96 episodes. It wa ...
'' in 2007.
Later career

Nelson provided the voice of Bob Parr (also known as
Mr. Incredible) in the animated film ''
The Incredibles
''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American animated superhero film written and directed by Brad Bird. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer ...
'' (2004), and returned to the role for its long awaited sequel, ''
Incredibles 2
''Incredibles 2'' is a 2018 American animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it is the sequel to '' The Incredibles'' (2004) and the second full-length instal ...
'' (2018).
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
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
and ''
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer'', where he was replaced by actor
Richard McGonagle.
Nelson made a three-episode guest appearance on ''
CSI: NY'' from 2008 to 2009 as a "nemesis" of
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise (; born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, director, producer, musician and humanitarian. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has ...
's Taylor.
His latest films include 2007's ''
Blades of Glory'' as an ice skating coach, 2009's ''
The Proposal'' as
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the List of highest-paid film actors, world's second-highest-paid actor in 202 ...
' skeptical father, 2010's ''
The Company Men'' as a greedy
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
, 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.
In 2019, Nelson joined the cast of ''
Young Sheldon
''Young Sheldon'' is an American sitcom television series created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro which aired on CBS from September 25, 2017, to May 16, 2024. The series is a Spin-off (media), spin-off prequel to ''The Big Bang Theory'' that ...
'' as Dale Ballard, a local sports store owner, Missy's baseball coach, and Meemaw's boyfriend.
Personal life
Nelson has three children from his first marriage to Robin McCarthy, though they later divorced.
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
MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and ...
''.
Nelson is a motorsports fan and an avid racer. He first participated in the 1991 Toyota Celebrity
Long Beach Grand Prix and finished ninth. In 1992, he founded Screaming Eagles Racing with John Christie and entered and drove a Toyota-engined
Spice
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
SE90 in the
IMSA
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida, under the jurisdiction of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States, ACCUS arm of the Féd ...
1994 WSC, a Lexus-engined Spice SE90 in
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
and a Ford-engined
Riley & Scott MkIII in the
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
and
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
championships.
Nelson is also a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan. On January 5, 2025 he sang the National Anthem at Lambeau Field. He would later tell reporters "Me and the Packers go way back."
In 2009, Nelson appeared on ''
The Glenn Beck Program'' to announce that he was considering no longer paying income tax. In the same year, he appeared on ''
Hannity
''Hannity'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative television political Talk show, talk program on Fox News hosted by Sean Hannity. Episodes air live at 9:00 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, while episodes that ai ...
'' to criticize government expansion.
Early in his career, Nelson struggled with alcohol and substance addiction.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Theme parks
Theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Craig T.
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)