Met his wife, actor Lisa Benavides, while they were both attending The Juilliard School
First big-screen appearance was in Nora Ephron's 1991 drama This Is My Life
Made his feature writing and directing debut in 1997 with Eye of God
O, a violent, teen-oriented adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello that Nelson directed in 1999, was shelved for two years following a series of school shootings
Breakout film role was the dim-witted Delmar in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Contributed vocals to "In the Jailhouse Now," a track from the Grammy-winning O Brother soundtrack
Produced plays he has written include The Grey Zone, Eye of God and Anadarko