Highlights
- Nelson became a Hollywood legend through $633 million-grossing films and pivotal roles on TV shows like Young Sheldon.
- Working on Young Sheldon cast was “neat” for Nelson, appreciating young talents; a feeling shared by many on the show.
- Craig T. Nelson’s standout role as Mr. Incredible was much lauded by critics, leading the film to global box office success.
Before captivating audiences as Dale Ballard in Young Sheldon, Craig T. Nelson had already left a significant mark in Hollywood, as he starred in a film that grossed $633 million at the worldwide box office. In the popular Big Bang Theory prequel, Nelson’s character is a pivotal figure, running a local sports store, coaching Missy Cooper’s (Raegan Revord) baseball team, and dating Meemaw (Annie Potts).
The actor once spoke about what it was like to work on the show with the rest of the cast, saying, “[I’m] working with people who are just coming up in the business, who’ve never done something like this before, and you get to just watch ’em go! That’s a really neat experience.” This appreciation for the show isn’t unique to Nelson; it’s a sentiment widely shared among the cast of Young Sheldon.
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Still the lone BBT spin-off on air into early 2024, the show is not the only feather in Nelson’s cap. He can also boast of a significant role in The Incredibles, the animated superhero film by Pixar which exploded at the box office in 2004, garnering $633 million globally.
How Craig T. Nelson Led The Incredibles To A $633 Global Box Office Return
The journey of The Incredibles to becoming a global phenomenon, and grossing $633 million worldwide, began in 1993 when creator Brad Bird sketched the initial concept of the Parr family. It wasn’t until 2000, though, that he secured a deal with Pixar Animation Studios to bring the concept to life on the big screen, as the first in a four-movie contract.
The Incredibles was released in 2004, and would introduce audiences to a unique family of superheroes, attempting to navigate the complexities of a normal life after government regulations forced them into retirement. At the heart of the story is Bob Parr, also known as Mr. Incredible. Craig T. Nelson lent his voice to the character, embodying the patriarch who is distinguished by his superhuman strength and endurance.
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By the end of its theatrical run, The Incredibles emerged as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004, with a total box office return of $633 million globally. Nelson’s portrayal of Mr. Incredible earned him widespread acclaim. As part of his recognition for the role, he won the Visual Effects Society Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture” in 2005.
Craig T. Nelson Followed Up The Incredibles’ Success With A $1 Billion Sequel
Building on the success of The Incredibles, Craig T. Nelson returned with a sequel that would go on to amass over $1 billion at the box office. In March 2014, at a Disney shareholder meeting, Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger announced Pixar’s plans for an Incredibles sequel, with Brad Bird continuing at the helm as both director and screenwriter.
The announcement was followed by confirmation that many from the original cast, including Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell, and John Ratzenberger, would return. This was alongside Bird himself as the voice of Edna “E” Mode. Nelson was also confirmed to rejoin this stellar lineup.
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Incredibles 2 premiered in Los Angeles on June 5, 2018, and shattered box office records by grossing over $1.2 billion worldwide. It became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2018, the second-highest-grossing animated film, and the 15th-highest-grossing film of all time. Notably, it set a new record for Pixar as its highest-grossing film ever, joining Finding Dory and Toy Story 3 in the studio’s billion-dollar club.
Craig T. Nelson Is A Huge Fan Of The Animation Genre
According to an interview he gave to The Worcester Telegram & Gazette in June 2018, Craig T. Nelson finds animation “incredible,” and is a massive fan of it. This passion for the genre was not always a part of his career, until a serendipitous moment changed everything. In the interview, he recounted how, before landing the role of Mr. Incredible, he had never voiced a character in an animated film.
Craig T. Nelson’s Biggest Roles, Apart from Young Sheldon and The Incredibles
Project Title |
Craig T. Nelson’s Role |
U.S. Release |
Where to Watch (TVGuide.com) |
---|---|---|---|
Coach |
Hayden Fox |
1989–1997 |
Aired on ABC, available to buy or rent on Amazon or Vudu |
Poltergeist |
Steve Freeling |
June 4, 1982 |
Available to buy or rent on Amazon or Vudu |
The District |
Chief Jack Mannion |
2000–2004 |
Currently not available to stream |
Parenthood |
Ezekiel “Zeek” Braverman |
2010–2015 |
Available to buy or rent on Amazon or Vudu |
Book Club |
Bruce Jutsum |
May 18, 2018 |
Available to stream on Fubo and Paramount Plus |
His desire to be part of an animated project was sparked while he was in Hawaii, watching Iron Giant for the fourth time, another Brad Bird production. Remarkably, just two weeks after this moment of aspiration, Nelson received the script for The Incredibles.
Despite his profound affection for the animation genre, Nelson’s foray into animated films has been notably limited. Apart from his iconic role as Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible in the two Incredibles films, his only other involvement in the realm of animation was a voice role in the 1974 superhero spoof comedy Flesh Gordon, where he voiced a character known as The Great God Porno—a role for which he wasn’t even credited.
Source: NewsFinale