Christian Clemenson
Encyclopedia
Christian Clemenson 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.
, 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". Clemenson, a straight-A junior high school student, won a Register scholarship to Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts. In 1973, while Chris was enrolled at Phillips Academy, his father died at age 58. 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." Other Crimson critics described his performances in Shakespeare plays as "a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence" (in The Winter's Tale
) and "a very fine and subtle performance" (in Measure for Measure
). 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.
After graduating from Harvard College
and the Yale School of Drama
, he moved to Los Angeles.
Clemenson and Boston Legal
star James Spader
are old friends from Phillips Academy days.
, 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. 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is well known for his portrayal of Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the television series Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, for which he won the 2006 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Early life
Clemenson spent his childhood in Humboldt, IowaHumboldt, Iowa
Humboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2010 census, gaining 238 people since the 2000 census.- History :...
, 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". Clemenson, a straight-A junior high school student, won a Register scholarship to Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts. In 1973, while Chris was enrolled at Phillips Academy, his father died at age 58. He participated in many theatrical productions at Phillips Academy.
Upon graduation from Phillips, he entered Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
. 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
Harvard Lampoon
The Harvard Lampoon is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Overview:Published since 1876, The Harvard Lampoon is the world's longest continually published humor magazine. It is also the second longest-running English-language humor...
sketch comedy show, a Harvard Crimson
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
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." Other Crimson critics described his performances in Shakespeare plays as "a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence" (in The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
) and "a very fine and subtle performance" (in Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
). 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.
After graduating from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
and the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
, he moved to Los Angeles.
Clemenson and Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
star James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
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 ChaseThe Paper Chase (TV series)
The Paper Chase is a television series based on a 1970 novel by John Jay Osborn, Jr., as well as a 1973 film based on the novel. It follows the lives of law student James T. Hart and his classmates at Harvard Law School.-Production:...
, Alex Keaton's English teacher in the television show Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
, the bailiff in the Ivan Reitman movie Legal Eagles
Legal Eagles
Legal Eagles is a 1986 romantic crime comedy-drama film written and directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah.-Plot:...
, the flight surgeon in the movie Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)
Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr...
, a cop in The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
, a killer in The Fisher King
The Fisher King (film)
The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
and Dr. Dale Lawrence in the movie And the Band Played On
And the Band Played On
And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a nonfiction book written by San Francisco Chronicle journalist Randy Shilts, published in 1987...
. 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
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series that aired from March 10, 1997, until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy Productions with later co-executive producers being Jane Espenson, David Fury, David...
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
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
. For playing Espenson, he won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 and was nominated for the same award in 2007. He remained with the series through to its finale in 2008.
In film, he starred as real-life 9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
victim Tom Burnett
Tom Burnett
Thomas Edward Burnett, Jr. was the vice-president and chief operating officer of Thoratec Corporation, a medical devices company based in Pleasanton, California. He resided in San Ramon, California....
in United 93
United 93 (film)
United 93 is a 2006 fact-based historical drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Greengrass that chronicles events aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11 attacks...
. On television, he was a regular on The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., often referred to as just Brisco or Brisco County,The series is referred to as just Brisco or by Brisco County by the creator and executive producer Carlton Cuse, actors involved with the show, and by many critics. Some examples include:* Cuse, Carlton, DVD extra...
playing the part of Socrates Poole. He also had a recurring role on Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
. Clemenson also has appeared in a season 6 episode of NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, "Dead Reckoning". He also appeared in two season 2 episodes of The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
. He also played Jimmy Masterson on the 3rd episode of Memphis Beat
Memphis Beat
Memphis Beat is an American drama series that debuted on TNT on June 22, 2010 and ended on August 16, 2011. Memphis Beat was officially canceled on October 14, 2011.-Overview:...
, "Love Me Tender."
In 2009, Clemenson joined CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
as the new medical examiner, Dr. Tom Loman. He has thus far appeared throughout the show's eighth and ninth seasons.