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Paul Dooley

Actor / Screenwriter | * 02/22/1928 (96) | Parkersburg, West Virginia (United States of America (USA))
8,574
Paul Dooley (born Paul Brown; February 22, 1928) is an American character actor, writer, and comedian. He is known for his roles in Breaking Away, Popeye, Sixteen Candles, Strange Brew and many Christopher Guest mockumentaries. He co-created the PBS show The Electric Company. ()
Photo of Paul Dooley

Paul Dooley was born Paul Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene (née Barringer), a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a keen cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at college. He is married to writer Winnie Holzman, with whom he has one daughter, Savannah Dooley (born 1985). Moving to New York, he soon found success as a regular on the stage. Also having an interest in comedy, Dooley was a standup comedian for five years, and a member of the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in NYC, as well as having brief stints as a magician and as a clown. Not afraid of trying different areas of entertainment, he also worked as a writer. He was one of the writers on The Electric Company and appeared in commercials. Besides appearing in many movies, including most notably Popeye, Sixteen Candles, and Breaking Away, Dooley has also appeared as a variety of recurrent characters on numerous television shows, including My So-Called Life, Dream On, Grace Under Fire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, ALF (playing Whizzer Deaver) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where he played the recurring role of Enabran Tain. He guest starred in other prime time shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Golden Girls, and Desperate Housewives. In 2000, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as an eccentric judge on The Practice. He was also in the infamous alternate ending to Little Shop of Horrors, but was replaced by Jim Belushi in the final cut.

Most frequent genres for this person: Comedies | Drama | Kids & Family

Known for these Movies & Shows

A teenage girl deals with her parents forgetting her birthday and a crush on her high school's heartthrob. ...

Sixteen Candles

PG

1984 | 3.4/5 | 1h 33min
Comedy, Romance / Love
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Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his 3 friends, The comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys r ...

Breaking Away

PG

1979 | 3.6/5 | 1h 40min
Drama, Comedy
available on:
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Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to ...

Hairspray

PG

2007 | 3.3/5 | 1h 57min
Comedy, Romance / Love, Drama
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Popeye is a super-strong, spinach-scarfing sailor man who's searching for his father. During a storm that wrecks his ship, Popeye washes ashore and winds up rooming at the Oyl household, where he meet ...

Popeye

PG

1980 | 2.7/5 | 1h 54min
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family
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Movies with Paul Dooley as Actor(98)

as Ben2023 Boy Makes Girl
as Burgess2023 Capture the Flag
as Gramps2021 Saving Paradise
as Mr. Rostalle2020 The Gesture and The Word
as himself2018 The Great Buster: A Celebration
as Sarge (voice)2017 Cars 3
as Ronnie2016 Other People
as Sarge (voice)2014 The Radiator Springs 500½
as Martin2013 My Santa
as Sarge (voice)2013 Hiccups
as The Foreman (voice)2013 Turbo
as Sarge (voice)2013 Spinning
2011 Thanks
as Sarge (voice)2011 Cars 2
as Father Whiteleather2009 Horsemen
as Hot Dog Vendor2008 Bedtime Stories
as Sherm2008 Sunshine Cleaning
as himself2008 Celebrating Sixteen Candles
as Eleanor's Father2008 Chronic Town
as Mr. Spritzer2007 Hairspray
as himself2007 Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary
as Paper Badge Sergeant2006 For Your Consideration
as Sarge (voice)2006 Cars
as Sarge (voice)2006 Mater and the Ghostlight
as Grandpa Donald2005 Come Away Home
as Warden2004 Nobody Knows Anything!
as Reverend Ben Goodwin2004 Employee of the Month
2003 Touch 'Em All McCall
as George Menschell2003 A Mighty Wind
as George2003 Comfort and Joy
2003 Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales
as Chief Nyback2002 Insomnia
as Hank2001 Stealing Time
as Earl Schimmel2001 I'll Remember April
as Mayor Don Vaughn2001 Madison
as Hank Luckinbill2001 A Woman's a Helluva Thing
as The Judge1999 Happy, Texas
as Jack Albert1999 Error in Judgment
as Walter Carpenter1999 Runaway Bride
as Walter1999 Guinevere
as Father Norton1997 Telling Lies in America
as Coach Buck1997 Angels in the Endzone
as Bud Chapman1997 Clockwatchers
as Leo Amerson1997 Loved
as Polo1996 God's Lonely Man
as UFO Abductee1996 Waiting for Guffman
as Senator Thatch1995 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
as Emmett Davis1995 Out There
as Ed Dutton1995 The Underneath
as Jerry Briggs1995 Evolver
as Jim Anderson1994 State of Emergency
as Sid Wiggins1993 Cooperstown
as Tupperware Salesman1993 A Dangerous Woman
as Richard1993 Mother of the Bride
as Big Chuck1993 My Boyfriend's Back
as Asst. Dist. Atty. Robert Norrell1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride
as himself1992 The Player
as Hal Roach1991 White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd
as Twittenham1991 Frogs!
as Owen Cheese1991 Shakes the Clown
1990 The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
as Doc1990 Guess Who's Coming for Christmas?
as Stark1990 Flashback
as Robert McFarlane1989 Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North
as Gil Hutchinson1988 Lip Service
as John Buxton1988 Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel
as Father Freddie1988 Last Rites
as Roy Crane1986 Monster in the Closet
as George Noozel1986 Big Trouble
as Don Liddle1985 The Steel Collar Man
as Chester Caruso1985 Stephen King's Golden Tales
as Randall Schwab1985 O.C. and Stiggs
as Jim Baker1984 Sixteen Candles
as Museum Security Guard1983 Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
as Dr. Ted1983 Going Berserk
as Claude Elsinore1983 Strange Brew
as Father1983 Hansel and Gretel
as Joe Hiatt1982 Endangered Species
as The Miller1982 Rumpelstiltskin
as Kendall1982 Kiss Me Goodbye
as Detective1982 The Shady Hill Kidnapping
as Ames Prescott1981 See China and Die
as Kurt1981 Paternity
as Dr. Gil Gainey1980 Health
as Wimpy1980 Popeye
as Alex Theodopoulos1979 A Perfect Couple
as Simon Peterfreund1979 Rich Kids
as Ray Stoller1979 Breaking Away
as Liam 'Snooks' Brenner1978 A Wedding
as Hyannisport Announcer1977 Slap Shot
as Gazooks (voice)1977 Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure
as Salesman1975 Fore Play
as Doctor1974 The Dion Brothers
as Cop at Hospital (uncredited)1974 Death Wish
as Statue of Liberty Guard1972 Up the Sandbox
as Day Desk Clerk at Hotel1970 The Out-of-Towners
1966 Man in the Square Suit
as Ted K. Worrie1964 The Parisienne and the Prudes

TV Shows/Series with Paul Dooley as Actor(60)

as Grandpa Jack2019 Merry Happy Whatever
as Glen2017 The Good Doctor
2017 The Guest Book
as Mort2015 Life in Pieces
as Earl Hudson2012 The Client List
2010 Huge
as Rocky2010 Parenthood
as Bearded Man aka Santa2010 Hot in Cleveland
as Murray2009 Modern Family
2007 Side Order of Life
2006 The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
as Dr. Walter Tapley2005 Grey's Anatomy
2005 Hopeless Pictures
as (voice)2005 American Dad!
as Judge Wendel Donahue2004 Boston Legal
2004 Desperate Housewives
as Paul2001 Scrubs
as Stan Coffman2001 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2000 The Huntress
as Buddy Ween2000 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Cheryl's Father2000 Curb Your Enthusiasm
as Cheryl's Dad2000 Curb Your Enthusiasm
as Bill Ridley1999 Providence
1999 Once and Again
1997 The Practice
1997 Ally McBeal
as Judge Harper1997 Dharma & Greg
1996 Millennium
1996 E! True Hollywood Story
1996 Early Edition
as Ralphie1996 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
as Red1996 7th Heaven
1995 High Society
1994 Chicago Hope
1994 Duckman
as Henry Lewis1994 ER
as Chuck Wood1994 My So-Called Life
1993 Grace Under Fire
as Herb Tolliver1993 Tales of the City
as Enabran Tain1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1992 Mad About You
1992 The Ben Stiller Show
as Father Michael Stromwell (voice)1992 Batman: The Animated Series
as Mickey Tupper1990 Dream On
as Randolph1989 Tales from the Crypt
as William Burns1988 The Murder of Mary Phagan
as Pops1988 The Wonder Years
1988 Coming of Age
1987 thirtysomething
as Karl Bullen1986 L.A. Law
as Whizzer1986 ALF
as Isaac Q. Newton1985 The Golden Girls
as George Corliss1985 The Golden Girls
as Chester Caruso1984 Tales from the Darkside
as Father1982 Faerie Tale Theatre
as The Miller1982 Faerie Tale Theatre
1965 Get Smart
1964 Bewitched
as Photographer1951 Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Self - Comedian1948 The Ed Sullivan Show

Movies with Paul Dooley as Crew(1)

Writing/Writer1980 Health

Full Name: Paul Dooley
Born: Wednesday, 02/22 1928 (February) in Parkersburg, West Virginia (United States of America (USA)) (current age: 96 years + 57 days)
Zodiac sign: Pisces (Chinese zodiac sign: Dragon)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: West Virginia University
Spouses (current/former): Winnie Holzman
Children: Savannah Dooley
Paul Dooley frequently works together with these people:
Mike Barker (34x, Actor)
Kevin Michael Richardson (31x, Actor)
Chris Diamantopoulos (25x, Actor)
Paget Brewster (23x, Actress)
John DiMaggio (17x, Actor)
Kurt Fuller (17x, Actor)
David E. Kelley (17x, Crew)
Robert Costanzo (16x, Actor)
Ed Begley Jr. (16x, Actor)
Peter MacKenzie (16x, Actor)
Jill Talley (16x, Actress)
Robert Altman (14x, Crew)
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WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:2767, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 03/25/2024