Paul Paddick
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| Paul Paddick | |
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 Paul Paddick (Captain Feathersword) of The Wiggles performing at the MCI Center, November 8, 2007
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 16, 1967
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Paul Paddick (born February 16, 1967 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian actor. Paddick is best known for his portrayal of Captain Feathersword, "the friendly pirate," a character associated with the children's band The Wiggles.
Paddick earned a Bachelor of Music from Adelaide University, studying classical opera for three years.[1] He also studied drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), at the same time as Hugh Jackman.[2] He has stated that even during his training as a performer, he "much preferred to be the comic second than the actual lead because it was much more fun and a lot less pressure. You got to get all the laughs and subtly steal part of the show."[3]
Paddick met Anthony Field, a founding member of The Wiggles, in 1993. By that time, Paddick had appeared in over fifteen major productions, including Victorian State Opera's "Don Quixote" and a two-year tour of "West Side Story." Field needed a hernia operation, so he asked Paddick to temporarily take over for him; for that tour, he not only stepped in for Field as the Blue Wiggle, Dorothy the Dinosaur, and Captain Feathersword, he also played Wags the Dog, who was performed by Murray Cook, the Red Wiggle. A job that was supposed to end in five weeks resulted in Paddick touring and appearing with The Wiggles full-time since 1995. He also appears in all of their Australian-produced television programs.[1][3] Paddick has become so closely associated with the band that he is sometimes referred to as the "Fifth Wiggle," a name also given to Phillip Wilcher.[2][4]
Paddick serves as "the adult relief" in The Wiggles' concerts; his vocal impersonations of singers such as Mick Jagger, Cher, Placido Domingo, and James Hetfield, have been called "the high point of The Wiggles stage show."[1]
Paddick married dancer Charmaine Martin in 2004; they have one child. Martin was a part of The Wiggles touring company; she played Pirate Charlie, Henry the Octopus, and Dorothy the Dinosaur.[1] Paddick's nickname is "Paddy."[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Meacham, Steve. "The master of sword play", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-12-03. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ a b Yeap, Sue. "The fifth Wiggle sails on", The Age, 2006-08-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ a b c Baughman, Tony. "Captain Feathersword may steal The Wiggles' show", The Aiken Standard, 2007-11-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- ^ Sams, Christine. "The Fifth Wiggle speaks out", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-08-01. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
