Craig T. Nelson

A personable Everyman with a knack for both deadpan comedy and heavy drama, Craig T. Nelson was a Los Angeles-based comic and gag writer before making his acting debut in 1971. Featured in largely minor roles for much of the 1970s and early 1980s, he hit pay dirt as the protective father of a suburban family under attack by supernatural forces in the monster summer hit, "Poltergeist" (1982). Television brought him wider exposure as the star of two popular series: the long-running sitcom "Coach" (ABC, 1989-1997) followed by the gritty crime drama "The District" (CBS, 2000-04). Despite his busy schedule, Nelson continued to keep a hand in TV movies and theatrical features, most notably as the voice of the super-heroic Mr. Incredible in the acclaimed animated Pixar feature "The Incredibles" (2004). After many more supporting turns and guest appearances, fans welcomed the actor's return to a regular series role as Zeek Braverman, the even-keeled patriarch of a large, eclectic clan in the Ron Howard-produced dramedy series, "Parenthood" (NBC, 2010-15). Steady as a rock, the always reliable Nelson continued to anchor projects of any timbre or genre, much to the delight of audiences everywhere.