John Allen Nelson

August 28, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

John Allen Nelson, born August 28, 1959, is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer. Nelson is well-known for his role in the hit television show “Baywatch” as well as his characters in “24,” and “Santa Barbara.” Today is Nelson’s birthday, and we are going to celebrate with some fun facts and interesting insights.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

John Allen Nelson

Birth date:

August 28, 1959

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Virgo

Height:

6' 1"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$5 million

Background

John Allen Nelson is an American actor and screenwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. His father was a U.S. Air Force doctor, and as such, Nelson spent the first three years of his life in Germany, while his father was stationed there. Nelson began his career when he starred in a small role in the television series “Loving” in 1983, and this led to him being cast as Warren Lockridge in the American soap opera “Santa Barbara” from 1984 to 1986.

Nelson has had numerous notable roles during his career, which include John D. Cort on “Baywatch” from 1989 to 1995, and Walt Cummings on the hit television series “24” from 2005 to 2006. He also has a few movies under his belt, such as “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” and “The Town,” which stars Ben Affleck. Later in the 2010s, Nelson starred as Silas Bunch in the show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and that was the last show he acted in.

In his other ventures, Nelson is a talented screenwriter and co-wrote the martial arts movie “Best of the Best 2,” the action crime film “American Yakuza,” as well as “Criminal Passion,” which he also produced and starred in. In his personal life, Nelson married Åse Samuelsson and they share two children, Axel and Linnea. They later divorced and Nelson married Justine Eyre in a lavish wedding at Château de Farcheville outside Paris, France. They share one child, Luca. Nelson has had a very fruitful career, and if he does decide to get back into the acting game, we will be watching.

Career timeline

1983

His First Television Appearance

Nelson gets a small part in the television show “Loving.”

1984

Main Character Casting

He is cast in the television series “Santa Barbara.”

2005

He Stars in “24”

Nelson gets the part of Walt Cummings in the hit show “24.”

2016

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”

He stars in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” — this is the last show he acts in.

Why We Love John Allen Nelson

He is talented
Not only is Nelson an actor, but he is also a screenwriter. His writing has been credited and uncredited in some productions, but he is credited for writing an episode for “Baywatch,” which is impressive!
Small roles, big productions
Nelson has starred in several successful television shows. Although these were small roles and usually only one episode, he has a very remarkable list under his belt.
He is a romantic
When he proposed to his now-wife, Justine Eyre, he did so while playing Scrabble by candlelight. We love a hopeless romantic.

5 Surprising Facts

He was in “Friends”
Nelson was in the pilot episode of “Friends” and played Monica Geller’s boyfriend “the Wine Guy.”
He played a golden “hunk”
He was the lead character in a movie about a nerd that sells his soul and becomes a golden-tanned, muscular hunk.
He reprised his “Baywatch” role
For the movie “Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding,” Nelson reprised his role as John D. Cort.
He has made some impressive appearances
His one-episode roles include appearances in big television shows including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “CSI: Miami,” and “Criminal Minds.”
He was part of an “E! True Hollywood Story”
He was interviewed in the documentary about his role in “Baywatch.”