Craig Richard Nelson
{{Short description|American actor (1947–2025)}}
{{for|another actor named Craig Nelson|Craig T. Nelson}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Craig Richard Nelson
| image = Craig Richard Nelson at Mountain-Con III in 2007 - closeup.png
| caption = Nelson in 2007
| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1947|09|17}}
| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2025|3|3|1947|09|17}}
| death_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
| education = University of Utah (BA)
New York University (MFA)
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1973–1998
}}
Craig Richard Nelson (September 17, 1947 – March 3, 2025) was an American actor in theater, film and television.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/52168/Craig-Richard-Nelson/filmography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325144602/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/52168/Craig-Richard-Nelson/filmography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-03-25|department=Movies & TV Dept.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2016|title=Craig Richard Nelson}}
Life and career
Nelson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.{{cite web|url=http://www.ldsfilm.com/bio/bioN.html|title=Biographies: Latter-day Saint and/or Utah Film Personalities: N|website=www.ldsfilm.com}} He studied acting at the University of Utah and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. After graduation, he was cast in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Two Gentlemen of Verona.
A casting director saw him in that show and cast him in the film The Paper Chase as a mean-spirited law student. This led to a long career in film and television, including three Robert Altman films, A Wedding, 3 Women, and Quintet as well as a role in the coming-of-age comedy My Bodyguard. He also had a recurring role as drama teacher Mr. Spacek on the 1980s television show Square Pegs.
Nelson died in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 3, 2025, at the age of 77.{{cite web |url=https://www.serenityfhs.com/obituaries/craig-nelson-6/#!/Obituary |title=Craig Richard Nelson |date=March 3, 2025}}
Filmography
=Film=
- The Paper Chase (1973) – Bell
- 3 Women (1977) – Dr. Maas
- A Wedding (1978) – Reedley Roots
- Quintet (1979) – Redstone
- My Bodyguard (1980) – Griffith
- A Small Circle of Friends (1980) – Harry Norris
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) – Professor Fredrickson (uncredited)
- Another You (1991) – Walt
=Television=
- Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (1974) – Mason Woodruff
- Fernwood 2 Night (1977) – Dr. Richard Osgood
- Maude (1977) – Guest Star
- Stick Around (1977) – Earl
- The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank (1978) – Hal Watson
- Barney Miller (1978) – Arnold Moraz
- Carol Burnett & Company (1979) – Regular
- Square Pegs (1982) – Mr. Spacek
- The Golden Girls (1986) – Mr. Thurber (1 episode)
- L.A. Law (1988) – U.S. Attorney Donald Kelly (uncredited)
- Dream On (1990) – Andre
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990) – Krag
- Alien Nation (1989) – Attorney
- Get a Life (1990) – Hastings
- Home Improvement (1991) – Bjorn
- Diagnosis: Murder (1993) – Dr. Thatcher
- Murder, She Wrote (1995) – Rob Hazlitt
- Star Trek: Voyager (1998) – Vaskan arbiter
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0625269}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Craig Richard}}
Category:Male actors from Salt Lake City
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:University of Utah alumni
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni