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Paul Dooley

Paul Dooley

Birthday: 1928-02-22 | Place of Birth: Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA

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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2021
Saving Paradise

as    Gramps

2018
2016
Other People

as    Ronnie

2013
My Santa

as    Martin

2013
Spinning

as    Sarge (voice)

2013
Hiccups

as    Sarge (voice)

2009
Horsemen

as    Father Whiteleather

2008
Chronic Town

as    Eleanor's Father

2008
Sunshine Cleaning

as    Sherm

2006
Cars

as    Sarge (voice)

2006
Mater and the Ghostlight

as    Sarge (voice)

2005
Come Away Home

as    Grandpa Donald

2003
Comfort and Joy

as    George

2002
Insomnia

as    Chief Nyback

2002
The Perfect You

as    Larry

2001
A Woman's a Helluva Thing

as    Hank Luckinbill

2001
Madison

as    Mayor Don Vaughn

1999
Happy, Texas

as    The Judge

1999
Runaway Bride

as    Walter Carpenter

1997
Angels in the Endzone

as    Coach Buck