Christian Dayton Clemenson^[1] (born March 17, 1958)^[2][3][4] is an American actor. He is well known for his portrayal ofJerry "Hands" Espenson in the television seriesBoston Legal, for which he was nominated for threeEmmy Awards and won the 2006 Emmy Award forOutstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.^[5] He has appeared in a number of highly acclaimed films, includingHannah and Her Sisters,Broadcast News,Apollo 13 andThe Big Lebowski, and portrayedTom Burnett inPaul Greengrass'United 93. He starred inAmerican Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson as prosecutorWilliam Hodgman.

Clemenson was born and raised inHumboldt, Iowa, the son of drug store owners Ruth Alzora (Dayton) and Ernest Arnold Clemenson.^[1] In his early teens, he delivered theDes Moines Register, which had a long tradition of awarding scholarships to top East Coast preparatory schools to a select few "paper boys."^[6] Clemenson, a straight-A junior high school student, won aRegister scholarship toPhillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.^[7] He participated in many theatrical productions at Phillips Academy.In 1973, while Clemenson was enrolled at Phillips, his father died at age 58.^[8]

Upon graduation from Phillips in 1976, he enteredHarvard College. From his freshman year onward he received important roles in campus stage productions. When Clemenson starred in aHarvard Lampoon sketch comedy show, aHarvard Crimson theater critic described Clemenson as "hugely talented actor who can trigger hysteria with any of a dozen subtle expressions or inflections."^[9] Other Crimson critics described his performances in Shakespeare plays as "a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence" (inThe Winter's Tale)^[10] and "a very fine and subtle performance" (inMeasure for Measure).^[11] 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, inPeter Sellars'sLoeb Drama Center puppet production of Wagner'sRing cycle (1979).^{[citation needed][12]}

During many summers he would return to Humboldt to star in, and later direct, local community theater plays at Humboldt's Castle Theatre.^[2]

After graduating fromHarvard College in 1980 and theYale School of Drama in 1984, he moved to Los Angeles.^[2]

Clemenson began his career in a number of character roles in film and television. He was a law student in the television version ofThe Paper Chase,Alex Keaton's English teacher in the television showFamily Ties, a security salesman onThe Golden Girls, a suspect in season 10, episode 14 ofNYPD Blue, a bailiff in theIvan Reitman movieLegal Eagles, a flight surgeon in the movieApollo 13, a cop inThe Big Lebowski, a killer inThe Fisher King, and Dr. Dale Lawrence in the movieAnd the Band Played On. He had a regular role as Socrates Poole, a lawyer in the Old West, in theFox seriesThe Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

In 1999, Clemenson appeared in theBuffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Bad Girls" as a grotesquely 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.

Clemenson became well known for his role asJerry "Hands" Espenson on the television seriesBoston Legal. For playing Espenson, he won anEmmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 and was nominated for the same award in 2007.^[5] He remained with the series through to its finale in 2008.

Clemenson starred in the filmUnited 93 asTom Burnett, one of the victims of the9/11 hijacking ofthe flight that crashed in rural Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. He also had a recurring role onVeronica Mars as Abel Koontz. In total, Clemenson appeared in three episodes of the show: "Like a Virgin", "Mars vs. Mars", and "Rat Saw God". Clemenson also has appeared in a season 6 episode ofNCIS, "Dead Reckoning". He also appeared in two season 2 episodes ofThe Mentalist. He also played Jimmy Masterson on the 3rd episode ofMemphis Beat, "Love Me Tender".

In 2009, Clemenson joinedCSI: Miami as the new medical examiner, Dr. Tom Loman. He appeared throughout the show's eighth, ninth, and tenth seasons as a recurring character. In 2013, he appeared as a guest star inHarry's Law.

In 2016, he played Deputy District Attorney William Hodgman inAmerican Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

• Christian Clemenson atIMDb

• 1958 births
• Living people
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• Male actors from Iowa
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Harvard College alumni
• People from Humboldt, Iowa
• David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni
• Phillips Academy alumni

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