Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson[1] (born April 4, 1944)[2] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Hayden Fox in the ABC sitcom Coach (for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in the 1980 film Stir Crazy, Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist, 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 (2000–04), The Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl (2005–09), and the voice of Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in the 2004 film The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel. He also starred as Zeek Braverman in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–15) and played Dale Ballard in the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon (2017–24).
Craig T. Nelson
Actor
1969–present
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Robin McCarthy(m. 1965; div. 1978)
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Doria Cook(m. 1987)
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Ashley Jones (former-daughter-in-law)
Early life[edit]
Craig Theodore Nelson was born on April 4, 1944,[1][3] in Spokane, Washington.[4] He is the son of Vera Margaret (née Spindler; 1906–1971), a dancer, and Armand Gilbert Nelson (1900–1964), a businessman.[1][3]
Nelson attended Lewis and Clark High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball.[3][5]
After high school, Nelson studied at Central Washington University.[6] After flunking out, Nelson went to Yakima Valley College where he was inspired to study acting by his drama teacher, Mr. Brady.[7] From Yakima, he went on to study drama at the University of Arizona on a scholarship.[3][8]
In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.[3] 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.[3]
Personal life[edit]
Nelson has three children from his previous marriage to Robin McCarthy.[3] 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.[3]
Nelson is a motorsports fan and an avid racer. He first participated in the 1991 Toyota Celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix[3] and finished ninth. In 1992, he founded Screaming Eagles Racing with John Christie and entered and drove a Toyota-engined Spice SE90 in the IMSA 1994 WSC, a Lexus-engined Spice SE90 in 1995 and a Ford-engined Riley & Scott MkIII in the 1996 and 1997 championships.[18]