Sean Nelson (actor)

Last updated
Sean Nelson
Born (1980-05-09) May 9, 1980 (age 43)
Bronx, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor
External image
Searchtool.svg Sean Nelson IMDb photo

Sean Nelson (born May 9, 1980) is an American actor. [1] Nelson began his career as a child actor, receiving notice after his film debut in Fresh (1994), as the eponymous title character.

Contents

Major roles in American Buffalo (1996) and The Wood (1999) followed, in addition to Nelson playing the recurring role of Jesse Bayliss on drama Sisters (1995−96). Nelson has continued acting in adulthood, predominantly in independent films and small roles on television.

Nelson has won an Independent Spirit Award and received a Sundance Film Festival Award, both for his role in Fresh.

Early life

Nelson was born in the Co-op City section of the Bronx, New York, [2] in a working class family. [3] He is the son of Aubrey, a mechanical engineer, and Sonia Nelson. [4]

In 1988, he enrolled at a local acting school. Nelson's mother had originally wanted her son to learn the piano and take voice lessons, but the instructor decided Nelson should study acting instead. [3] As a teenager, Nelson attended the Professional Performing Arts School. [3] Nelson studied film at Temple University [5] and he graduated by 2007. [6]

Career

By the age of 10, he landed a role in the off-Broadway play Hey Little Walter. [2] He made his TV debut in a 1992 episode of the NBC series Here and Now starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Nelson appeared on stage as Steve in a 1994 production of The Shadow Box . [7]

Nelson made his film debut in Fresh (1994), [8] appearing as the lead character Michael (who goes by Fresh), a young boy who works for two drug dealers. [9] The film's director, Boaz Yakin, had originally dismissed Nelson after his first audition, but a casting director convinced Yakin to give Nelson another audition, and Nelson won the part. [10]

His performance in the film was met with positive reception, with reviewers describing Nelson as "vibrant," [11] "superb," [12] and "the key to the movie's success." [13] He earned a Sundance Film Festival Award [10] in addition to the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. [2] Nelson was the inaugural honoree for the latter. He also received a Young Artist Award nomination for his work on Fresh. [14]

Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in guest roles on crime dramas Law & Order , Homicide: Life on the Street , and New York Undercover . [15] Nelson played the role of Bobby in American Buffalo (1996), starring opposite Dennis Franz and Dustin Hoffman. [16] A movie critic of The Deseret News stated Nelson was able to "hold his own" alongside the more experienced actors. [17] Nelson would later reprise his role of Bobby in a theater production of American Buffalo (2005). [1]

He portrayed young Mike in The Wood (1999), with one reviewer opining Nelson was the strongest of the three young actors in the film. [18] Stephen Holden of The New York Times believed Nelson provided poignancy to the film. [19] Nelson performed as DeAndre McCullough, the son of divorced drug addicts, in the HBO miniseries The Corner (2000). [20] Tom Shales, a reviewer for The Washington Post , claimed Nelson was "magnetic" in the role of DeAndre. [21]

Nelson appeared in the 2004 short film Date as James, [22] and portrayed Willie in Stake Land (2010). [23] Nelson was Charlie, a teenager newly released from juvenile hall, in the 2005 miniseries Miracle's Boys . [24] Some of his film work as an adult includes The Gospel (2005) and Premium (2006). Nelson has guest starred on television series Elementary (2014), The Good Wife (2015), and Blue Bloods (2022).

Filmography

Television

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Wright</span> American actress (born 1966)

Robin Gayle Wright, credited as Robin Wright Penn from 1997 to 2009, is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for eight Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Waterston</span> American actor (born 1940)

Samuel Atkinson Waterston is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television, and film. He has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a BAFTA Award. His acting career has spanned over five decades acting on stage and screen. Waterston received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Harris</span> American actor and director (born 1950)

Edward Allen Harris is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), Pollock (2000), and The Hours (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Warner (actor)</span> British actor (1941–2022)

David Hattersley Warner was an English actor who worked in film, television and theatre. Warner's lanky, often haggard appearance lent itself to a variety of villainous characters as well as more sympathetic roles across stage and screen. He received accolades such as a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for a BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haley Joel Osment</span> American actor (born 1988)

Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film Forrest Gump (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psychological thriller film The Sixth Sense (1999), which won him a Saturn Award and earned him nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He achieved further success with the drama film Pay It Forward (2000), the science fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) which won him a second Saturn Award, and the comedy film Secondhand Lions (2003), which won him a Critics Choice Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Linney</span> American actress (born 1964)

Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Tucci</span> American actor (born 1960)

Stanley Tucci Jr. is an American actor. Known as a character actor, he has played a wide variety of roles ranging from menacing to sophisticated. Tucci has earned numerous accolades, including six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ned Beatty</span> American actor (1937–2021)

Ned Thomas Beatty was an American actor. In a career that spanned five decades, he appeared in more than 160 films. Throughout his career, Beatty gained a reputation for being "the busiest actor in Hollywood". His film appearances included Deliverance (1972), White Lightning (1973), All the President's Men (1976), Network (1976), Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Back to School (1986), Rudy (1993), Shooter (2007), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Rango (2011). He also had the series regular role of Stanley Bolander in the first three seasons of the hit NBC TV drama Homicide: Life on the Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Ruck</span> American actor (born 1956)

Alan Douglas Ruck is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye in John Hughes's film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), as well as television roles as Stuart Bondek on the ABC sitcom Spin City (1996–2002) and Connor Roy on the HBO series Succession (2018–2023), the latter earning him Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Mullally</span> American actress

Megan Mullally is an American actress, singer, and comedian. She is best known for playing Karen Walker in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which she received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning twice, in 2000 and 2006. She also received nominations for numerous other accolades for her portrayal, including seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, winning three times, in 2001, 2002, and 2003, as well as receiving four Golden Globe Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Harmon</span> American actor (born 1951)

Thomas Mark Harmon is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. He has appeared in a wide variety of television roles since the early 1970s, including Dr. Robert Caldwell on St. Elsewhere, Detective Dicky Cobb on Reasonable Doubts, and Dr. Jack McNeil on Chicago Hope. He also starred in such films as Summer School, Prince of Bel Air, Stealing Home, Wyatt Earp, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Freaky Friday, and Chasing Liberty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Savage (actor)</span> American actor (born 1949)

John Smeallie Youngs, known professionally as John Savage, is an American actor. He first rose to prominence in the late 1970s for his portrayals of troubled-but-sensitive characters in films like The Deer Hunter (1978), The Onion Field (1979) and Hair (1979). His television roles include Donald Lydecker on Dark Angel (2000–2002) and Hack Scudder on Carnivàle (2003–2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Dimitriades</span> Australian actor (born 1973)

Alex Dimitriades is an Australian actor and DJ. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as Nick Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Langella</span> American actor (born 1938)

Frank A. Langella Jr. is an American actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by always making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received numerous accolades including four Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Chandler</span> American actor (born 1965)

Kyle Martin Chandler is an American actor. Chandler received widespread critical acclaim for his performance as Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights (2006–2011); he received numerous award nominations for his portrayal of the character and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 for his performance in the show's final season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Elliott</span> American actor (born 1944)

Samuel Pack Elliott is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a National Board of Review Award. He has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards. Elliott was cast in the musical drama A Star Is Born (2018), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding prizes at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards. He also won a National Board of Review Award. Elliott starred as Shea Brennan in the American drama miniseries 1883 (2021–2022), for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.

<i>The Corner</i> American television series

The Corner is a 2000 HBO drama television miniseries based on the nonfiction book The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (1997) by David Simon and Ed Burns, and adapted for television by David Simon and David Mills. It premiered on HBO in the United States on April 16, 2000, and concluded its six-part run on May 21, 2000. The series was released on DVD on July 22, 2003. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Friels</span> Australian actor

Colin Friels is a Scottish-born Australian actor of theatre, TV, film and presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Dano</span> American actor (born 1984)

Paul Franklin Dano is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance for his role in L.I.E. (2001) and gained wider recognition for playing a troubled teenager in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). For playing identical twins in Paul Thomas Anderson's period drama There Will Be Blood (2007), he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Brandon La Ron Hammond is an American former child actor who appeared in several movie and television roles mainly during the 1990s. He appeared in the feature films Waiting to Exhale (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Soul Food (1997). He won an NAACP Image Award for his work in the latter.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Buffalo' gets down and gritty in Berkshires". Boston Globe . 3 August 2005. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Buffalo co-star is a serious teen actor". Bartow Press. October 7, 1996. p. 8.
  3. 1 2 3 Onishi, Norimitsu (September 18, 1994). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: WAKEFIELD; At 14, Lessons in Film Success: Bronx Actor Is Wary of Fame". The New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ Tagami, Ty (September 18, 1994). "Sean Nelson, the Sundance Kid". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Flaherty, Mike (April 14, 2000). "Newcomer Sean Nelson on the rise". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ Hemphill, Clara (2007). New York City's Best Public High Schools: A Parents' Guide (3rd ed.). Teachers College Press. ISBN   9780807774472.
  7. ↑ Willis, John (March 2000). Theatre World 1994-1995. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 19. ISBN   9781557832504.
  8. ↑ Webster, Dan (September 30, 1994). "Film offers a 'Fresh' approach to moviemaking". The Spokesman-Review . p. 14.
  9. ↑ Arar, Yardena (September 5, 1994). "'Fresh': A 12-year-old stuck in an ailing culture". The Free-Lance Star . p. D1.
  10. 1 2 Gaul, Lou (September 2, 1994). "Real kids act in movies". The Beaver County Times . p. 4.
  11. ↑ Vancheri, Barbara (August 31, 1994). "Vibrant characters give 'Fresh' meaning". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. C-5.
  12. ↑ Stewart, Sarah (September 12, 1994). "'Fresh' and frighteningly realistic". The Michigan Daily . p. 9.
  13. ↑ Potts, Jackie (September 23, 1994). "Chilling urban drama fueled by hope, not rage". Boca Raton News . p. 8E.
  14. ↑ "Sixteenth Annual Youth in Film Awards". Young Artist Awards . Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ Michaels, Taylor (July 8, 2000). "Alexander of 'Corner' is a 'NewsRadio' alumna". The Dispatch . p. 17.
  16. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (September 27, 1996). "Dull 'American Buffalo' not worth nickel". The Sunday Gazette. p. D21.
  17. ↑ Vice, Jeff (September 27, 1996). "EVEN STAR POWER CAN'T SAVE TEDIOUS 'AMERICAN BUFFALO'". The Deseret News . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  18. ↑ Hewitt, Chris (July 18, 1999). "Movie works well once it gets in gear". The Free-Lance Star . p. F2.
  19. ↑ Holden, Stephen (July 16, 1999). "FILM REVIEW; When Loss Of Virginity Is the Birth Of Love". The New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  20. ↑ Greene, Josh (April 15, 2000). "The Corner Tells True Story Of Family's Struggle To Persevere". Warsaw Times-Union . p. 5.
  21. ↑ Shales, Tom (April 22, 2000). "Inner-city reality, art meet at 'The Corner'". Eugene Register-Guard . p. 4.
  22. ↑ Thomas McClauskey, Audrey (2007). Frame by Frame III: A Filmography of the African Diasporan Image, 1994-2004. Indiana University Press. p. 187. ISBN   9780253348296.
  23. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (April 21, 2011). "Bringing On the Vampires in 'Stake Land'". The New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  24. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (February 13, 2005). "A Boys' Choir of Consultants". The New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.