Paul Dooley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Dooley
Dooley in 2010
Born	Paul Brown (1928-02-22) February 22, 1928 (age 97) Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	West Virginia University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1954–present
Spouse(s)	Donna Lee Wasser (m. 1958–?; divorced) Winnie Holzman ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	4, including Savannah Dooley

Paul Dooley (born Paul Brown on February 22, 1928) is a well-known American actor. You might recognize him from movies like Breaking Away, Popeye, Sixteen Candles, or the Cars movies where he voiced Sarge! He also helped create The Electric Company, a popular children's TV show on PBS.

Paul Dooley's Early Life and Journey

Paul Dooley was born Paul Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia on February 22, 1928. He grew up in Parkersburg, which he said didn't have many exciting cultural activities. He loved listening to funny comedians on the radio, especially Jimmy Durante.

When he was young, Paul was a cartoonist. He even drew a comic strip for a local newspaper! In 1946, he joined the United States Navy and served for two years. After that, he went to West Virginia University and graduated in 1952.

Paul Dooley's Acting Career Begins

After college, Paul Dooley moved to New York City to become an entertainer. His first job was being a clown at children's birthday parties! Soon, he started performing on stage in New York.

In the early 1950s, he made his first stage appearance. A famous director named Mike Nichols noticed him. Mike Nichols gave Paul his big break in 1965. He cast Paul in the Broadway play The Odd Couple. Paul played Homer "Speed" Deegan, one of Oscar's poker friends. He also filled in for Art Carney as Felix Unger later on.

Paul also enjoyed making people laugh as a stand-up comedian for five years. He even performed on The Tonight Show. He was also part of comedy groups like the Compass Players and The Second City in New York City. Other famous actors like Alan Arkin and Alan Alda were in The Second City with him.

Paul Dooley as a Writer

Paul Dooley was also a talented writer. He helped create and was a main writer for The Electric Company. This show was made by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS. Paul wrote short, funny skits called "runners" that featured different characters. He later found out that Carl Reiner, another famous comedian, had suggested him for the job! Paul created characters like Easy Reader (played by Morgan Freeman) and Fargo North, Decoder (played by Skip Hinnant). He also wrote the funny soap opera spoof Love of Chair.

Paul also started a company with friends to make commercials for radio and TV. They created hundreds of commercials! A gorilla character in some TV ads was even named Paul after him.

Paul Dooley's Movie Roles

Paul Dooley has been in many movies. Some of his well-known roles include Sixteen Candles, Popeye, Breaking Away, and Runaway Bride. He also voiced Sarge, the army jeep, in the Disney/Pixar films Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3.

He often worked with director Robert Altman. Robert Altman saw Paul in a play and then cast him in his film A Wedding. Paul and Robert Altman even wrote a movie together called Health.

Paul also worked with Christopher Guest on several movies. These include Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.

Paul Dooley's Television Appearances

Paul Dooley has appeared in many TV shows. He played recurring characters on shows like ER, My So-Called Life, and Grace Under Fire. He was also Enabran Tain on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

He made guest appearances on popular shows like Bewitched, The Wonder Years, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Desperate Housewives. In 2000, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as a unique judge on The Practice.

In 2010, Paul played the head chef at a fictional "fat camp" in the TV series Huge. This show was created and written by his wife and daughter! In 2017, he appeared in The Good Doctor as an older man with heart problems.

Paul Dooley's Theater Work

Paul Dooley also co-wrote a play called Assisted Living with his wife, Winnie Holzman. It was their first time working together on a play, and it opened in 2013.

Paul Dooley's Personal Life

Paul Dooley married Winnie Holzman on November 18, 1984. They first met in an improv acting class in New York. They have a daughter named Savannah. The family lives in Toluca Lake in Los Angeles.

Before marrying Winnie, Paul was married to Donna Lee Wasser in 1958. That marriage ended in divorce, and he has three children from his first marriage. In 2022, Paul published his own book about his life, called Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off.

Paul Dooley's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Theater Performances

Theme Park Attractions

See also

In Spanish: Paul Dooley para niños