- Christian Clemenson
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Christian Clemenson Born March 17, 1959
Humboldt, Iowa, USAOccupation Actor Years active 1985–present Christian Clemenson (born March 17, 1959)[1] is an American film and television actor. He is well known for his portrayal of Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the television series Boston Legal, for which he won the 2006 Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[2]
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Early life
Clemenson spent his childhood in Humboldt, Iowa, as the son of drug store owners Ernest and Ruth Clemenson. In his early teens he delivered the Des Moines Register, which had a long tradition of awarding scholarships to top east-coast preparatory schools to a select few "paper boys".[3] Clemenson, a straight-A junior high school student, won a Register scholarship to Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.[4] In 1973, while Chris was enrolled at Phillips Academy, his father died at age 58.[5] He participated in many theatrical productions at Phillips Academy.
Upon graduation from Phillips, he entered Harvard College. From his freshman year onward he received important roles in campus stage productions, often receiving more praise from critics than the productions received. When Clemenson starred in a Harvard Lampoon sketch comedy show, a Harvard Crimson theatre critic panned the show but described Clemenson as "hugely talented actor who can trigger hysteria with any of a dozen subtle expressions or inflections."[6] Other Crimson critics described his performances in Shakespeare plays as "a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence" (in The Winter's Tale)[7] and "a very fine and subtle performance" (in Measure for Measure).[8] He displayed early on his remarkable range when he undertook with inimitable flair and hilarious effect the hugely solemn role of Erde "the green-faced torso", goddess of the Earth, in Peter Sellars's Loeb Drama Center production of "Wagner's Ring" (1979).
During many summers he would return to Humboldt to star in, and later direct, local community theatre plays at Humboldt's Castle Theatre.[1]
After graduating from Harvard College and the Yale School of Drama, he moved to Los Angeles.[1]
Clemenson and Boston Legal star James Spader are old friends from Phillips Academy days.
Career
Many of Clemenson's early roles in television and film matched his personality as a bright, soft-spoken professional. He was a law student in the television version of The Paper Chase, Alex Keaton's English teacher in the television show Family Ties, the bailiff in the Ivan Reitman movie Legal Eagles, the flight surgeon in the movie Apollo 13, a cop in The Big Lebowski, a killer in The Fisher King and Dr. Dale Lawrence in the movie And the Band Played On. While he has been a familiar face for over a decade, until recently his name was not so well-known.
In 1999, Clemenson appeared in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Bad Girls" as a morbidly obese demon named Balthazar. He wore a large padded suit and extensive make-up for the role, and the character's repulsive, villainous nature contradicted many of his earlier roles.
Recently, Clemenson has become known for his role as Jerry "Hands" Espenson on the television series Boston Legal. For playing Espenson, he won an Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 and was nominated for the same award in 2007.[2] He remained with the series through to its finale in 2008.
In film, he starred as real-life 9/11 victim Tom Burnett in United 93. On television, he was a regular on The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. playing the part of Socrates Poole. He also had a recurring role on Veronica Mars. Clemenson also has appeared in a season 6 episode of NCIS, "Dead Reckoning". He also appeared in two season 2 episodes of The Mentalist. He also played Jimmy Masterson on the 3rd episode of Memphis Beat, "Love Me Tender."
In 2009, Clemenson joined CSI: Miami as the new medical examiner, Dr. Tom Loman. He has thus far appeared throughout the show's eighth and ninth seasons.
References
- ^ a b c "Christian Clemenson Biography". ABC Medianet. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/showpage/showpage.aspx?program_id=001654&type=clemenson. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
- ^ Editor (7 August 1933). "Letters to the Editor". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,745821,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
- ^ "Prep School Scholarship Winners." Des Moines Register, 1972-05-14, at 11-F.
- ^ Obituary of Ernest Clemenson, Des Moines Register, 1973-09-25, at 3-S.
- ^ Paul A. Attanasio, "Dissertation on Roast Pig," The Harvard Crimson, 1979-10-15.
- ^ Esme Murphy, "The Sad Tale's Best," The Harvard Crimson, 1979-12-10.
- ^ Thomas Hines, "A Good Measure," The Harvard Crimson, 1981-07-07.
External links
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Drama Series (2001–2025) Michael Emerson (2001) · Charles S. Dutton (2002) · Charles S. Dutton (2003) · William Shatner (2004) · Ray Liotta (2005) · Christian Clemenson (2006) · John Goodman (2007) · Glynn Turman (2008) · Michael J. Fox (2009) · John Lithgow (2010) · Paul McCrane (2011)
Complete List · (1975–2000) · (2001–2025) Categories:- 1959 births
- Actors from Iowa
- American film actors
- American television actors
- Harvard University alumni
- Emmy Award winners
- Living people
- Yale School of Drama alumni
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