Craig T. Nelson

Nelson also starred as Zeek Braverman in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–2015) and recurred as Dale Ballard in the CBS sitcoms Young Sheldon (2019–2024) and its spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024–present).

• Name — Craig T. Nelson • Birth Name — Craig Theodore Nelson • Born — 4 April 1944 • Birthplace — Spokane, Washington, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1969–present • Children — 3

Craig Theodore Nelson was born on April 4, 1944, in Spokane, Washington. His parents were Vera Margaret (née Spindler), a dancer, and Armand Gilbert Nelson, a businessman. Nelson attended Lewis and Clark High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball. Following 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 on a scholarship. In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. After first moving to California, he took up a job as a security guard at a soap factory until finding work as a comedy writer.

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, and Rudy De Luca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at The Comedy Store and on the short-lived The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (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 where there was no electricity and no running water; "it was contentment, The Waltons", 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.

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 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also directed many episodes of the show. He then starred as chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department Jack Mannion in the CBS drama The District from 2000 to 2004. He went on to play the role of the Prison Warden in the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl in 2007.

• Illustration — Nelson in 2004 Nelson provided the voice of Bob Parr (also known as Mr. Incredible) in the animated film The Incredibles (2004), and returned to the role for its long awaited sequel, Incredibles 2 (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 and The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, where he was replaced by actor Richard McGonagle. Nelson's subsequent films include 2005's The Family Stone as Diane Keaton's husband, 2007's Blades of Glory as an ice skating coach, 2009's The Proposal as Ryan Reynolds's skeptical father, 2010's The Company Men as a greedy CEO, and 2018's Book Club. Nelson made a three-episode guest appearance on CSI: NY from 2008 to 2009 as a "nemesis" of Gary Sinise's Taylor. 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. From 2019 to 2024, Nelson was part of the cast of Young Sheldon playing Dale Ballard, a local sports store owner, Missy's baseball coach, and Meemaw's boyfriend. In 2024, he continued the role on its spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.

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. 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 SE90 in the IMSA 1994 WSC, a Lexus-engined Spice SE90 in 1995 and a Ford-engined Riley & Scott Mk III in the 1996 and 1997 championships. Nelson has voiced support for conservative beliefs and politicians. During the 2008 United States presidential election, he endorsed John McCain. 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 to criticize government expansion. Early in his career, Nelson struggled with alcohol and substance addiction. Nelson is a Christian and runs more than one addiction recovery program through his church. 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."

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1973 — The Mary Tyler Moore Show — Charlie — Episode: "Mary Richards and the Incredible Plant Lady" • 1978 — Charlie's Angels — Stone — Episode: "Angels on the Run" • Wonder Woman — Sam — Episode: "The Deadly Sting" • 1979 — How the West Was Won — Tugger — Episode: "The Rustler" • Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker — Driver — Television film • 1980 — The Promise of Love — Major Landau • The White Shadow — Father Phil — Episode: "A Christmas Story" • 1981 — Inmates: A Love Story — Daniels — Television film • Murder in Texas — Jack Ramsey • WKRP in Cincinnati — Charlie Bathgate — Episode: "Out to Lunch" • 1981–1982 — Private Benjamin — Capt. Braddock / Col. Hogan — 3 episodes • 1982 — Paper Dolls — Michael Caswell — Television film • Chicago Story — Kenneth A. Dutton — Recurring role • 1984–1985 — Call to Glory — Col. Raynor Sarnac — Main role • 1986 — Alex: The Life of a Child — Frank Deford — Television film • The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story — Senator Ted Kennedy • 1989 — Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story — Major Bill Harcourt • 1989–1997 — Coach — Coach Hayden Fox — Main role • 1990 — Drug Wars: The Camarena Story — Harley Steinmetz — Miniseries • Extreme Close-Up — Philip — Television film • 1991 — The Josephine Baker Story — Walter Winchell • 1993 — The Switch — Russ Fine • The Fire Next Time — Drew Morgan — Miniseries • 1994 — Ride with the Wind — Frank Shelby — Television film • Probable Cause — Lieutenant Louis Whitmire • The Lies Boys Tell — Larry • 1996 — If These Walls Could Talk — Jim Harris — Television film; segment: "1996" • 1998 — Creature — Dr. Simon Chase — Miniseries • 1999 — To Serve and Protect — Tom Carr • 2000 — The Huntress — Ralph Thorson — Episode: "Pilot" • Dirty Pictures — Simon Leis — Television film • 2000–2004 — The District — Chief Jack Mannion — Main role • 2001 — Yes, Dear — TV Actor — Episode: "Jimmy's Jimmy"; uncredited • 2002 — The Agency — Chief Jack Mannion — Episode: "Doublecrossover" • 2007 — My Name Is Earl — Warden Jerry Hazelwood — 4 episodes • 2008–2009 — CSI: NY — Robert Dunbrook — 3 episodes • 2009 — Monk — Judge Ethan Rickover — 2 episodes • 2010–2015 — Parenthood — Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman — Main role • 2013 — Hawaii Five-0 — Tyler Cain — Episode: "He welo 'oihana" • 2015 — Grace and Frankie — Guy — 5 episodes • 2017 — Raised by Wolves — Paul "Grampy" Kosinski — Television film • 2019–2024 — Young Sheldon — Dale Ballard — Recurring role • 2024–2025 — Pupstruction — PawPaw — Voice; 2 episodes • 2024–present — Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage — Dale Ballard — 4 episodes • 2025 — SpongeBob SquarePants — Coach Cod — Voice; episode: "Pigskin Pearl"

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2012 — Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure — Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible • 2013 — Disney Infinity • 2014 — Disney Infinity 2.0 • 2015 — Disney Infinity 3.0

• Year — Ride — Role — Notes • 2018 — Incredicoaster — | Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible — Voice

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1983–1984 — Friends — Harold (Okie) Peterson • 1998 — Ah, Wilderness! — Nat Miller

Nelson was recorded at birth as Craig Theodore Nelson. The authorities additionally record the headings Craig Theodore Nelson and Craig Nelson. His recorded language was English. He married Doria Cook-Nelson. One child is recorded: Noah Nelson.

Nelson was featured as a prosecuting attorney who opposes Al Pacino 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 Poltergeist (1982), returning to the role for the sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986). In 1983, Nelson appeared in Silkwood, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep. That same year, he played the high school football coach of Tom Cruise in the drama All the Right Moves and was one of the stars of director Sam Peckinpah'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), Freddy Nefler in Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Chief Howard Hyde in Turner & Hooch (1989), Ed Peters in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and Alex Cullen in The Devil's Advocate (1997).

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1971 — The Return of Count Yorga — Sgt. O'Connor • 1973 — Scream Blacula Scream — Sarge • 1974 — Flesh Gordon — The Great God Porno — Voice; uncredited • 1979 —...And Justice for All — Frank Bowers • 1980 — Stir Crazy — Deputy Warden Ward Wilson • The Formula — Geologist #2 • Where the Buffalo Roam — Cop on Stand • Private Benjamin — Capt. William Woodbridge • 1982 — Poltergeist — Steve Freeling • 1983 — Man, Woman and Child — Bernie Ackerman • Silkwood — Winston • All the Right Moves — Coach Vern Nickerson • The Osterman Weekend — Bernard Osterman • 1984 — The Killing Fields — Major Reeves • 1986 — Poltergeist II: The Other Side — Steve Freeling • 1987 — Rachel River — Marlyn Huutula • Red Riding Hood — Sir Godfrey / Percival • 1988 — Action Jackson — Peter Dellaplane • Me and Him — Peter Aramis • 1989 — Turner & Hooch — Chief Howard Hyde • Troop Beverly Hills — Fred Nefler • 1996 — Ghosts of Mississippi — Ed Peters • I'm Not Rappaport — The Cowboy • 1997 — The Devil's Advocate — Alexander Cullen • Wag the Dog — Senator John Neal — Uncredited • 2000 — The Skulls — Litten Mandrake • 2001 — All Over Again — Cole Twain • 2004 — The Incredibles — Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible — Voice • 2005 — Mr. Incredible and Pals — (commentary edition) Voice • The Family Stone — Kelly Stone • 2007 — Blades of Glory — Coach Darren Goddard • 2009 — The Proposal — Joe Paxton • 2010 — The Company Men — James Salinger • 2011 — Soul Surfer — Dr. David Rovinsky • 2015 — Get Hard — Martin Barrow • 2016 — Gold — Kenny Wells • 2018 — Book Club — Bruce Jutsum • Incredibles 2 — Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible — Voice • Auntie Edna — Bob Parr — Voice; Short film • 2023 — Book Club: The Next Chapter — Bruce Jutsum • 2025 — Green and Gold — Buck