CRAIG T. NELSON (Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible) explores the unseen side of being a superhero as a dedicated family man trying to find a balance between saving the world and taking care of his loved ones. Nelson is probably best known to audiences for his portrayal of football fanatic Coach Hayden Fox on the long-running ABC sitcom “Coach” (1989-97), and more recently as Washington, D.C. Police Chief Jack Mannion on the CBS drama “The District” (2000-4). From the beginning of his career, Nelson has also been a successful writer, and in recent decades has added Director to his C.V., helming episodes of both “Coach” and “The District.”
The Spokane, Washington native spent his high school and college years in the early sixties exercising his musical talents playing drums and guitar. He attended the University of Arizona, and got some early theatrical acting experience treading the boards of Hollywood’s Oxford Theatre. His first television exposure came as a writer/performer for “The Lohman and Barkley Show,” a variety series for which he won his first Emmy®award. His writing credits in the early 1970s also include “The Alan King Show” and “The Tim Conway Show.”
Following guest shots on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Wonder Woman” and “How the West Was Won,” Nelson segued into film acting, earning roles in “…And Justice for All” (1979), “Where the Buffalo Roam,” “Private Benjamin” and “Stir Crazy” (all 1980). In 1982, he was cast as father and real estate developer Steve Freeling in the Tobe Hooper/Steven Spielberg supernatural chiller “Poltergeist” (a role he reprised in the 1986 sequel “Poltergeist II: The Other Side”).
In 1989, Nelson was cast in the title role on the hit comedy series “Coach,” a role he carried to popular success for the next eight years, earning three Emmy® nominations and winning in 1992. His other regular TV series credits include “Chicago Story” (1982) and “Call to Glory” (1984), as well as the miniseries “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story” (1990), “The Fifty” (1998) and “To Serve and Protect” (1999).
Nelson’s shingle, Family Tree Productions, produced the 1994 telefilm “Ride with the Wind,” in which he starred, wrote and executive produced. Nelson’s nearly two dozen telefilm credits also include “Inmates: A Love Story” (1981), “Paper Dolls” (1982), “Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story” (1989), “Extreme Close-Up” (1990), “The Josephine Baker Story” (1991), “The Fire Next Time” (1993), “Take Me Home Again” (1994), “Creature” (1998) and “Dirty Pictures” (2000, Golden Globe® winner).
Nelson’s feature film credits include “The Osterman Weekend” (1983, dir. Sam Peckinpah), “Silkwood” (1983, dir. Mike Nichols), “The Killing Fields” (1984, dir. Roland Joffe), “Ghosts of Mississippi” (1996, dir. Rob Reiner), “The Devil’s Advocate” (1997, dir. Taylor Hackford), “Wag the Dog” (1997, dir. Barry Levinson), and “The Skulls” (2000, dir. Rob Cohen). In 1998, the actor made his Broadway debut in the role of Nat Miller in a popular revival of the Eugene O’Neill comedy “Ah, Wilderness!”
A long-time fan of auto racing, Nelson tasted it for the first time as a participant in the 1991 Pro Celebrity Grand Prix, and was hooked. In 1992, he formed the Screaming Eagles Racing team, and ran in a multitude of World Sports Car events in the United States and abroad through 1997. Nelson’s production company is currently developing a feature based on the life of five-time land speed record-holder Craig Breedlove, which he is slated to write and executive produce.
The actor has three children and six grandchildren. He and his wife Doria live in Los Angeles.
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