Craig Richard Nelson (September 17, 1947 – March 3, 2025) was an American actor in theater, film and television.^[1]

Nelson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[2] 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^[1] as a mean-spirited law student. This led to a long career in film and television, including three Robert Altman films, A Wedding,^[1] 3 Women,^[1] and Quintet^[1] as well as a role in the coming-of-age comedy My Bodyguard.^[1] 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.^[3]

• 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

• 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

• Craig Richard Nelson at IMDb