Craig Richard Nelson was born April 14, 1944, in Spokane, Washington. From an early age, Nelson’s love was not acting, but anything and everything related to going fast. He initially aspired to be a hydroplane racer, but his father discouraged the idea stating it was as improbable as wanting to become an actor. While Nelson took that challenge head on, relics of his past aspirations still remain. To this day he is an avid fan of race car driving.

Nelson pursued his secondary education at both the University of Arizona and Central Washington University. Nelson made his onscreen debut in 1971 with the horror film The Return of Count Yorga, opposite Robert Quarry and Mariette Hartley. Throughout the 70s, Nelson appeared for many one-episode stints on popular television shows such as Mary Tyler Moore; Charlie’s Angels, with Jaclyn Smith, David Doyle, John Forsythe, and Cheryl Ladd, among others; and Wonder Woman, with Lynda Carter.

Despite numerous roles and steady work, it wasn’t until 1982 that Nelson really made himself known among the movie-going audiences. It was in this year he scored a leading role in the Steven Spielberg written, Tobe Hooper directed thriller Poltergeist.

After the success of this film, increasingly public roles began inundating Nelson’s answering machine. He scored a lead in the short-lived but well-received television series Call to Glory, starring beside Gabriel Damon, Elisabeth Shue, Tom O Brien, Jon Lindstrom, and Kristy Swanson.

In addition to television work, Nelson has made notable appearances in many successful films including but not limited to The Killing Fields, starring Sam Waterston and John Malkovich, and I’m Not Rappaport, starring Walter Matthau and Ossie Davis.

Nelson is perhaps best known, though, for his long-running television series Coach, which lasted from 1989 to 1997. He costarred with Jerry Van Dyke, Shelley Fabares, and Bill Fagerbakke.

With the end of his hugely successful series, Nelson faded from the public eye. He made a comeback, however, just three years later with The District, starring opposite Jonathan LaPaglia. This show ran until 2004, at which time he voiced Mr. Incredible in the animated smash success The Incredibles. Other acting talents to lend their vocal prowess included Holly Hunter, Samuel L Jackson, and Jason Lee.

Recently, Nelson found success with two feature films, The Family Stone and Blades of Glory. The latter in particular is faring well in the box office and even among critics. This is aided, no doubt, by the help of his on-screen costars Will Ferrell and Jon Heder.

In his personal life, Nelson has been married twice. His first wife was Robin Nelson, whom he married in the 1960s and divorced in 1978. They had three children together. After a substantial amount of time unmarried, Nelson eventually exchanged vows again in 1987 with fellow actress Doria Cook-Nelson. They have no children of their own, but they continue to raise Nelson’s three children from his previous marriage.

YUDDY