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Name: Judd Nelson
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Date of Birth:
November 28, 1959
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Place of Birth:
Portland, Maine, USA
Mini-bio:
Born, Judd Asher Nelson, in Portland, Maine to Leonard Nelson and his wife,
Merle Nelson, (attorney and state assemblywoman), Judd attended St. Paul's
preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire be...( read more)fore majoring in philosophy
at the prestigious Haverford College in Pennsylvania. The acting bug bit
when he went to watch a friend's audition and was obliged to audition in
order to stay. He won the role.
After graduation, Judd headed for New York City and the Stella Adler
Conservatory where he was believable in the role as the "street-smart Eddie
Keaton" in the comedy Making the Grade (1984). Judd's next film role was as
the stodgy ROTCer, Phil Hicks, in the ensemble comedy Fandango (1985).
Important and diverse roles in the brat-pack films The Breakfast Club (1985)
and St. Elmo's Fire (1985) quickly followed. With his privileged upbringing,
Judd could have brought the right degree of preppy-smarmyness, (ala James
Spader), to any number of vapid roles, but his intense stare and dark
smoldering looks gave him a hint of danger which added to his credibility in
films like the Billionaire Boys Club (1987) (TV), From the Hip (1987) and
New Jack City (1991).
While Judd's career has been peppered with under-promoted films and
poorly-written TV appearances, critics have not been overly kind to this
misunderstood actor.