‘Coach’ star Craig T. Nelson returns to Midwest and football in ‘Green and Gold’

Craig T. Nelson grew up in Washington state, but he has a deep association with the Midwest.

His great-grandfather emigrated from Norway to Ettrick, Wis., about an hour from Eau Claire. The family later moved to South Dakota, where a Nelson farm is still in operation.

Of course, he’s best known for his Emmy-winning role in “Coach” (1989-97), playing the short-fused coach of a football team at a fictional Minnesota university.

In his latest movie, “Green and Gold,” he’s Buck, a fourth-generation Wisconsin dairy farmer who risks his business on the Green Bay Packers capturing a Super Bowl. The film is screening at local theaters (greenandgold.com).

Nelson, 80, talked by phone last week about football, farming and faith.

Q: You’re a longtime Packers’ fan in real life. Is that because of the family connection?

A: No. I just remember reading a pamphlet on how the Packers came about, how they were publicly owned, and I thought that was a neat story. That’s the only reason.

Q: Was it weird, then, playing a Minnesota football coach for so long?

A: I was a big fan of Bud Grant and Fran Tarkenton. I also like the Rams and the Chicago Bears. Dick Butkus became a good friend of mine. We played a lot of golf together. From the TV show, I got to know a lot of different players and coaches.

Q: In terms of guest stars, who stands out?

A: Johnny Unitas. When I was in the green room talking to him, I realized how much he had punished his body during his playing career. Walter Payton was an amazing guy. Really, really nice. Troy Aikman was a lot of fun.

Q: There was an attempt to reboot “Coach” 10 years ago. Any chance that could happen again?

A: It’s dead. We no longer have some of the cast members and so you’re not going to have the same chemistry.

Q: Your association with football on the screen dates back to “All the Right Moves” with Tom Cruise. Did you know back in 1983 that he was going to be a big star?

A: You kind of knew he was going to break out. He had just shot “Risky Business” and then it was, “bam!” It was the same with Rachel McAdams [2005’s “The Family Stone”]. You could just tell she was destined for big stuff. It wasn’t as clear with Elisabeth Shue [ABC’s “Call to Glory”], but she was such a wonderful person and still is.

Q: “Call to Glory” is one of those shows that I adored as a kid, even though it only lasted a season. It’s a shame it’s so hard to find.

A: That show meant a lot to me. It was absolutely fantastic. But there was a lot of flying in that and it was expensive. That was the problem.

Q: Another project that people might not have seen is “Rachel River,” which you shot in Minnesota in the mid ‘80s [based on short stories by Carol Bly with a script from “Ordinary People” author Judith Guest]. What do you remember about that production?

A: That’s one of my favorites. We did it for “American Playhouse” on PBS. It was one of those quiet, wonderful stories.

Q: “Green and Gold” reminded me of films that were made in the ‘80s that represented rural America. You were in some of them, like “Silkwood.” What happened to those kind of movies?

A: Cities became bigger, didn’t they? In Hollywood, it’s about survival of the fittest, which is a horrible way of looking at it, but films that show rural America and promote family values get swallowed up in many ways by the whims of the moment.

Q: You shot this movie in Door County, Wisconsin. How did you spend your time when you weren’t filming?

A: It’s such a beautiful area. We would get in the car and tour a lot of organic farms, talking to farmers who are trying to make ends meet, making sure we were accurately portraying them. These are people running enterprises where the margins aren’t working out, but you still have to get up at 4:30 in the morning and deal with the lives and deaths of the critters you are taking care of. It’s a labor of love and you have to be an optimist.

Q: It’s been 10 years since “Parenthood.” Do you see yourself doing another TV series?

A: I don’t think so. I’d rather write a book. I’m working on a prehistorical fiction project about Noah’s sons. I found it through my faith. I’m probably going to do another “Family Stone” movie and “The Incredibles 3.” But I also love projects like “Green and Gold” where I can get very involved with young filmmakers and help them get their dreams off the ground.

The Minnesota Interview is a feature in which we dive deep into the personal side of public figures with special ties to our region and readers.