John Allen Nelson (1959–)

Actor, screenwriter, and voice artist John Allen Nelson, formerly of Little Rock (Pulaski Country), has had a steady career in show business since the 1980s. He has appeared on television programs such as Baywatch, Friends, Santa Barbara, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and has acted in feature films including the cult classic science fiction/comedy/horror movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space. In addition to screenwriting work on such movies as the Arkansas-based Shelter, Nelson has amassed several dozen credits as audiobook narrator, winning an AudioFile Earphones Award for his reading of Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Thomas French.

John Allen Nelson was born in San Antonio, Texas, on August 28, 1959. His father was a military doctor in the U.S. Air Force, and his mother was a homemaker. Along with siblings David, Nancy, and Diana, he spent several years of his childhood in Germany, where his father was stationed. After the family moved back stateside, they settled in Little Rock. There, Nelson graduated in 1977 from Catholic High School for Boys.

Nelson attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as a science major before developing an interest in being an actor. He moved to New York City in 1982 to study acting and pursue a professional career. Within two years, he won roles on the TV daytime dramas Loving and The Edge of Night. He then joined the cast of daytime TV’s Santa Barbara, where he played the seductive character of Warren Lockridge from 1984 to 1986. Moving to primetime television, he appeared on both Hunter and Scarecrow & Mrs. King in 1987.

His breakthrough role in movies came that same year, appearing in the title role as a golden-tanned, muscular Adonis in the comedy-fantasy Hunk (1987) alongside award-winning actors James Coco and Robert Morse. The following year, Nelson co-starred in the 1988 science fiction movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

Nelson was co-writer for the 1993 martial arts movie Best of the Best 2, as well as American Yakuza starring Viggo Mortensen. The following year, Nelson co-wrote the screenplay for the 1994 film Criminal Passion, which he also co-starred in. He is credited with producing and co-writing as well as acting in the lead role in Shelter (1998), an action thriller made in and around Little Rock, in which Nelson portrays a federal agent whose superior was played by award-winning actor Charles Durning.

Nelson appeared on the first episode of Friends in 1994 as “Paul the Wine Guy” on a date with Monica (Courteney Cox). Nelson may be best known for his role as Walt Cummings, White House chief of staff, on 24, which ran from 2001 to 2010. His other TV credits include Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, Grey’s Anatomy, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, Sheena, Without a Trace, and Virgin River. Movie roles include Follow Me Home (1996), Saigon Commandos (1988), and The Town (2010).

His voice work as a narrator includes the books The Lineup and Stealing the Mystic Lamb (both 2010), An Empire of Ice and Winner-Take-All Politics (both 2011), and This Will Make You Smarter (2013), as well as several by alternate-history writer Harry Turtledove including End of the Beginning and Days of Infamy (both 2010).

Nelson married Åse Samuelsson in 1998; they had two children and later divorced. Nelson escorted legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam to the 2005 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, where she was named Best Female Athlete in the world. In 2007, Nelson married actress/model/voice artist Justine Eyre; they had a son.

For additional information:
Clarendon, Dan. “‘Friends’ Co-Creator Reveals NBC Had a Problem with Monica’s Pilot Date.” TV Insider. https://www.tvinsider.com/1148337/friends-pilot-monica-date-nbc-reaction/ (accessed December 19, 2024).

“John Allen Nelson.” Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625482/ (accessed December 19, 2024).

“John Allen Nelson, Narrator.” Tantor Media. https://tantor.com/narrator/john-allen-nelson.html  (accessed December 19, 2024).

Nancy Hendricks
Garland County Historical Society