Christian Dayton Clemenson (born March 17, 1958) is an American actor. He is well known for his portrayal of Jerry "Hands" Espenson in the television series Boston Legal, for which he was nominated for three Emmy Awards and won the 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He has appeared in a number of highly acclaimed films, including Hannah and Her Sisters, Broadcast News, Apollo 13 and The Big Lebowski, and portrayed Tom Burnett in Paul Greengrass' United 93. He starred in American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson as prosecutor William Hodgman.
Early life Clemenson was born and raised in Humboldt, Iowa, the son of drug store owners Ruth Alzora (Dayton) and Ernest Arnold 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."Prep School Scholarship Winners". Des Moines Register, May 14, 1972, at 11-F. He participated in many theatrical productions at Phillips Academy. In 1973, while Clemenson was enrolled at Phillips, his father died at age 58.Obituary of Ernest Clemenson, Des Moines Register, September 25, 1973, at 3-S.
Upon graduation from Phillips in 1976, he entered Harvard College. From his freshman year onward he received important roles in campus stage productions. When Clemenson starred in a Harvard Lampoon sketch comedy show, a Harvard Crimson theater critic described Clemenson as "hugely talented actor who can trigger hysteria with any of a dozen subtle expressions or inflections."Paul A. Attanasio, "Dissertation on Roast Pig", The Harvard Crimson, October 15, 1979. Other Crimson critics described his performances in Shakespeare plays as "a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence" (in The Winter's Tale)Esme Murphy, "The Sad Tale's Best", The Harvard Crimson, December 10, 1979. and "a very fine and subtle performance" (in Measure for Measure).Thomas Hines, "A Good Measure", The Harvard Crimson, July 7, 1981. 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 puppet production of Wagner's Ring cycle (1979).
During many summers he would return to Humboldt to star in, and later direct, local community theater plays at Humboldt's Castle Theatre.
After graduating from Harvard College in 1980 and the Yale School of Drama in 1984, he moved to Los Angeles.
Career Clemenson began his career in a number of character roles in film and television. He was a law student in the television version of The Paper Chase, Alex Keaton's English teacher in the television show Family Ties, a security salesman on The Golden Girls, a suspect in season 10, episode 14 of NYPD Blue, a bailiff in the Ivan Reitman movie Legal Eagles, a 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. He had a regular role as Socrates Poole, a lawyer in the Old West, in the Fox series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
In 1999, Clemenson appeared in the Buffy 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 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.
Clemenson starred in the film United 93 as Tom Burnett, one of the victims of the 9/11 hijacking of the flight that crashed in rural Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. He also had a recurring role on Veronica 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 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 appeared throughout the show's eighth, ninth, and tenth seasons as a recurring character. In 2013, he appeared as a guest star in Harry's Law.
In 2016, he played Deputy District Attorney William Hodgman in American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.
Filmography Film Year Title Role1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Larry Legal Eagles Clerk Heartburn Sidney 1987 Black Widow Artie Making Mr. Right Bruce Surrender Dream Lawyer Broadcast News Bobby 1988 Daddy's Boys Otis 1990 Bad Influence Pismo Boll 1991 The Fisher King Edwin 1992 Hero Conklin 1993 Josh and S.A.M. Policeman 1995 Apollo 13 Charles Berry1998 The Big Lebowski Younger Cop Almost Heroes Father Girard Armageddon Droning Guy Mighty Joe Young Jack 1999 Lost & Found Ray 2006 United 93 Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.2010 Ashley's Ashes Father Tim 2011 J. Edgar Inspector Schell 2014 Not Safe for Work Alan Z. Emmerich 2016 Live by Night Ritz Investor 2021 No Man of God James DobsonMalignant Dr. Victor Fields 2024Fly Me to the Moon Walter
Television Year Title Role Notes1985 Fame Alan StewartEpisode: "Selling Out"The Golden Girls The SalesmanEpisode: "Break In"Mary Tim FlowersEpisode: "From Pillar to Post"1986 The Paper Chase Episode: "Graduation"L.A. Law PomerantzEpisode: "The Princess and the Wiener King"1987 Head of the Class Dave NashEpisode: "Past Imperfect"Scarecrow and Mrs. King Jack ColmanEpisode: "Rumors of My Death"Cagney & Lacey Dr. WeinbergEpisode: "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"The Slap Maxwell Story Marty's FriendEpisode #1.1Beauty and the Beast Jonathan GouldEpisode: "Nor Iron Bars a Cage"It's Garry Shandling's Show The Amazing Al2 episodes1988 Family Ties Mr. Flaherty2 episodes21 Jump Street Charles GreeningEpisode: "Raising Marijuana"Disaster at Silo 7 Col. BrandonTelevision film1989 Hard Time on Planet Earth Herb LeavittEpisode: "Losing Control"The Robert Guillaume Show DavidEpisode: "You Win Some, You Lose Some"1989–1991 Matlock Cyril Henning / Dr. Tim Crider2 episodes1990 Capital News Todd Lunden13 episodes1991 Designing Women Jack HenryEpisode: "Last Tango in Atlanta"1992 Civil Wars Leo HoodEpisode: "Dirty Pool"1993 Hearts Afire Martin SmithersEpisode: "While the Thomasons Slept in the Lincoln Bedroom"And the Band Played On Dr. Dale LawrenceTelevision film1993–1994 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Socrates Poole27 episodes1995 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Rollie Vale2 episodesCybill Ed PhiloEpisode: "The Odd Couples"1996 Murder One Donald LoseyEpisode: "Chapter Thirteen"1997 Mad About You Jared2 episodes; uncredited1998 The Practice Barry WallEpisode: "Duty Bound"Vengeance Unlimited Agent Stuart BrownsteenEpisode: "Victim of Circumstance"1999 Buffy the Vampire Slayer BalthazarEpisode: "Bad Girls"2001 Bette Mr. McNallyEpisode: "The Invisible Mom"Ladies Man Dog ConsultantEpisode: "A Quiet Evening at Home"The District Cliff / BobEpisode: "Night Shift"The West Wing Evan Woodkirk, Smithsonian CuratorEpisode: "The Women of Qumar"2002 Ally McBeal Mr. HooklandEpisode: "Homecoming"2003 NYPD Blue Timothy BoshamEpisode: "Laughlin All the Way to the Clink"The Division Capt. Leo Spivey2 episodes2004 Method & Red Donald3 episodes2004–2005 Veronica Mars Abel Koontz4 episodes2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Charles PellewEpisode: "Committed"Numbers Henry KorfeltEpisode: "Assassin"2005–2008 Boston Legal Jerry Espenson 44 episodes2006 Crossing Jordan Fr. Edward KlausnerEpisode: "Mysterious Ways"2009 ER Dr. KurtagEpisode: "Old Times"NCIS Perry SterlingEpisode: "Dead Reckoning"The Mentalist Dr. Roy Carmen2 episodesRaising the Bar TomEpisode: "Maybe, Baby"2009–2012 CSI: Miami Dr. Tom Loman 52 episodes2010 Memphis Beat Jimmy MastersonEpisode: "Love Her Tender"Grey's Anatomy Ivan FinkEpisode: "Can't Fight Biology"2011 The Glades Ed VickersEpisode: "Iron Pipeline"2012 Harry's Law Sam Berman5 episodes2013 Shameless Christopher Collier2 episodesMike & Molly Mr. O'DonnellEpisode: "Poker in the Front, Looker in the Back"2014 Dallas Howard RiederEpisode: "Trust Me"Californication Couples CounsellorEpisode: "Faith, Hope, Love"Manhattan Niels BohrEpisode: "Last Reasoning of Kings"Legends Mr. Porter3 episodes2014–2017 Turn: Washington's Spies Martin De Young7 episodes2015 Masters of Sex Leslie RiordanEpisode: "Undue Influence"2016 American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson Bill Hodgman5 episodes2017 Colony Dan Bennett 10 episodesLifeline Dugan Morris Episode: "There's a Chip in Her Arm"2019 9-1-1 Franklin Prentiss Episode: "Ocean's 9-1-1"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Forreston Graham Episode: "The Burden of Our Choices"2021 The Good Doctor Dr. Silas ChambersEpisode: "Teeny Blue Eyes"2022–2023 Julia James Beard 2 episodes2024 A Man in Full Wismer Stroock 5 episodes2026 Widow's Bay Dr. Morgan 4 episodes
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