98 MacDirectory
EXCLUSIVE
the long-awaited sequel to the
2004 blockbuster animated
movie, The Incredibles, out
June 15th.
Our conversation runs the
gamut from overcoming the
perils of aging in Hollywood,
mid-life adventures, the secret
to his long and happy marriage
to wife, Doria Cook-Nelson,
and the unique challenges of
playing an animated icon for
Disney Pixar.
Allison Kugel: With Book
Club there are so many
celebrated actors in one
movie. What does an
ensemble piece allow
you to do as an actor
that carrying a film or
television show on your
own doesn't allow for?
Craig T. Nelson: The
opportunity to work with
the different characters that
are being played broadens
what you can do as an actor.
Oftentimes, the way people
react differently to different
people they meet, it's that
same dynamic and it can be
something of an adventure.
Although in Book Club, most
of my scenes are with Mary
[Steenburgen]. There are only
one or two scenes where
I'm with everyone, although I
From his early days on the
comedy stage to playing
lovable football fanatic,
Hayden Fox, on the long
running television sitcom
Coach and Zeek Braverman
on the dramatic television
series, Parenthood to
countless legendary big screen
roles, actor Craig T. Nelson's
career has been as versatile as
it is prolific.
Movie audiences have been
loving his work for decades
in popular films spanning
just about every genre:
Poltergeist, Stir Crazy, All
The Right Moves, Silkwood,
The Devil's Advocate,
The Family Stone and
The Proposal. It was his
voice work in the 2004 mega
hit animated Disney Pixar
movie, The Incredibles,
that introduced Nelson to a
younger audience. His voice
is readily recognizable as the
voice of Mr. Incredible, and
as he tells it, the world stops
spinning for a beat whenever
a starstruck child hears him
speak.
Nelson currently plays Mary
Steenburgen's husband in the
upcoming romantic comedy,
Book Club, out May 18th.
He's also resuming his role as
Mr. Incredible in Incredibles 2,
