Alum Craig T. Nelson gives funny, poignant U of A graduation speech

When Emmy-award-winning actor Craig T. Nelson found out the University of Arizona would be giving him an honorary doctorate — and asking him to give the keynote address at graduation — he initially thought it was a “huge mistake.”

“It’s not only intimidating in a way, but it’s trying to incapsulate what (they) have garnered in that period of time,” he told the Arizona Daily Star a few hours before his big speech. “And fortunately, I think I do have something to share that will hopefully be helpful.”

It turns out, he did. Nelson gave an impassioned speech to the crowd of about 4,700 students and 33,000 guests at Arizona Stadium on Friday night that garnered laughter and raucous applause.

“I mean, it’s just extraordinary to be a guy that’s now got a robe that I’m not sure I can get on a plane like this,” Nelson joked to the audience as he began his speech. “But what the heck, I can write prescriptions now!”

He also poked fun at his time as a student actor at the UA during the 1960s, including about the performance when his two front teeth flew out of his mouth.

“They landed in the second row in some guy’s lap,” Nelson said to the gleeful crowd. “I improvised and grabbed them from him, and yelled, ‘Give me back my teeth!’”

He continued, “That’s how it all started. It really hasn’t changed much.”

Nelson, who graduated from the UA in 1969, is known for voicing Mr. Incredible in the 2004 Pixar film “The Incredibles,” as well as for television roles as Hayden Fox in “Coach” and Zeek Braverman in “Parenthood.” He also starred in the films “Poltergeist,” “The Proposal” and “The Family Stone.”

After spending a few minutes riling up the crowd with tales from his time as a student at the UA, Nelson spent a chunk of his speech on his “rock bottom moment,” when he was addicted to drugs and alcohol in New York during the 1980s.

“My whole life was transformed and a power greater than myself taught me that I can go to the bottom,” he said, soberly. “And that’s where I’m my best, because that’s where I’m willing to listen and that’s when I’m willing to learn.”

He spoke about that period of time, he said, because of what the class of 2024 has gone through. Many of Friday night’s graduates spent their high school graduations at home because of COVID-19. Many also spent their first years of college in the height of the pandemic.

“You have been faced with disillusion,” Nelson told the graduates. “You’ve been faced with hopelessness, despair. I urge you, from the bottom of my heart, to take what you’ve learned and to do for one what you would do for many.”

A commencement party

Nelson’s speech wasn’t the only highlight of the night. The entire commencement ceremony was less like a formal graduation and more like a party.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

“I love the way that we throw a commencement party better than any other university in the country,” UA President Robert C. Robbins exclaimed as he began speaking.

He was spot on in his description. As various college deans took the stage, asking their college graduates to stand and be recognized for their accomplishments, students became rowdy, their happiness radiating from the field of Arizona Stadium.

In fact, students and their families cheered for most of the night, including during remarks made by student speakers including Associated Students of the UA President Alyssa Sanchez.

“The triumphs today are not just solitary achievements,” she said. “They are the fruits of our collective labor.”

Sanchez, who was the first Latina president of ASUA, said it was important to give a special “thank you” to everyone’s families.

“As we celebrate our achievements, let’s extend our gratitude to our families, both blood-related and chosen,” she said. “They are the ones who are proudly in the stands tonight cheering us on and supporting us.”

Sanchez’s words were felt by many of the graduates, including Lauren Guardado, who was receiving her bachelor’s degree in public health.

“It’s such a surreal moment and it’s just so inspirational,” Guardado said in an interview before the ceremony began. “I did this not only for me, but for my family.”

From Buckeye, Guardado is the first in her extended family to graduate from college. Her graduation cap was bedazzled with a big Arizona A and yellow flowers. She proudly added large words reading “First-Gen.” As she spoke, she pointed to a large group in the stands, all wearing matching shirts. When she pointed, they erupted in applause, waving.

It was a big change to attend college, the 21-year-old said, but it was worth it.

“I really want to work on program implementation in the community,” she said of her post-graduation plans.

It seems like Nelson’s advice for graduates was spot on, at least for Guardado.

“I really just want to give back to my community,” she said. “I want to make the world a better place.”

Historic photos: A look back at University of Arizona Commencement ceremonies