Biography for
Paul Dooley More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

22 February 1928, Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA

Birth Name

Paul Brown

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Dooley was a keen cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at college. 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, as well as having brief stints as a magician and as a clown. Not afraid of trying different areas of entertainment, he has also worked as a writer. After appearing in many movies, including most notably Popeye (1980), Dooley is has appeared as recurrent characters on various shows, including "My So-Called Life" (1994), "Dream On" (1990), "Grace Under Fire" (1993), and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Lammens <lammens@connexus.apana.org.au>

Spouse

Winnie Holzman	(18 November 1984 - present) 1 child
Donna Lee Wasser	(1958 - ?) (divorced) 3 children

Trivia

Has four children: Robin, Peter, Adam (all from first wife Donna) and Savannah (from second wife Winnie). Son Adam Dooley was more recently the writer/director/producer of the short film Adventures in Homeschooling (2004) which featured Paul. Savannah Dooley wrote episodes for "What Goes On" (2007).

On stage he played the titular baseball great in the acclaimed one-man show "The Amazing Casey Stengel" at the American Place Theatre in 1980-1981.

Attended West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia, and received a BA in speech and drama in 1952.

Had an Emmy-nominated guest turn on the HBO sitcom "Dream On" (1990), playing the gay father of the lead.

Second wife Winnie Holzman wrote for the last two seasons of "thirtysomething" (1987) and was creator and writer for the acclaimed teen drama series "My So-Called Life" (1994).

Won the National Board of Review award for his hapless father in the film Breaking Away (1979).

Early career in the entertainment business included jobs as a magician and clown.

Co-created and wrote the groundbreaking children's series "The Electric Company" (1971) in the 1970s.

Dooley and Dennis Christopher have played father and son twice in movies: Liam and Hughie Brenner in A Wedding (1978), and Raymond and Dave Stoller in Breaking Away (1979). They later played father and son (Stan and Roger Coffman) in the "Cherry Red" episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2001).

Was discovered in New York by Mike Nichols, who cast the actor as one of the poker-playing buddies in the original 1965 Broadway production "The Odd Couple." When star Art Carney left the play, Dooley replaced him as the fastidious roommate Felix opposite Walter Matthau's grumbling Oscar Madison.

Appeared as on-screen spokesman for Top Job (cleaner) in television commercials of the late 1960's.

Was high school friends with actor James Dukas. Later, while the two attended West Virginia University, they "palled around" with Don Knotts.

In the original, unused ending of Little Shop of Horrors (1986) he played the character of Patrick Martin. The role was eventually played by James Belushi but Dooley still gets a credit in the movie's DVD and in the special thanks section of the movie.

Personal Quotes

I don't take myself too seriously which is maybe why I've done a lot more comedy roles than anything else. I have more fun doing off-the-wall kinds of things.