| Paul Calderón | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 Puerto Rico |
| Occupation | Film, stage, television actor writer |
Paul Calderón (born 1959) is an American actor.
He was born in Puerto Rico.[1] Calderón moved to New York with his family at the age of six, where he grew up on the streets of the Lower East Side and Spanish Harlem. Following some time in college, he enlisted in the United States Army and served overseas as an infantryman.
Returning to the States, Calderón set his sights on an acting career. Starting out on the New York stage, he won an Obie Award for his performance in Blade to the Heat at the Public Theatre. His most notable Broadway role was opposite Robert De Niro in Cuba and His Teddy Bear. Calderón also appeared off-Broadway in such plays as Requiem For A Heavyweight and Divine Horsemen, and played Achilles in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of Troilus and Cressida in Central Park. He is a founding member of the Touchstone Theatre, the American Folk Theatre and the Labyrinth Theatre Company.
Calderón was originally slated to portray the role of Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction; Samuel L. Jackson was subsequently given the role.
Samuel Jackson told Tarantino he had messed up by not casting him in Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino agreed and told him he was writing a script and had a character that he had written specifically with Jackson in mind. Calderón had a better initial reading than Jackson and Tarantino gave serious consideration to casting him as Jules Winnfield. Jackson alleged he has thought the casting was just a reading and on a second casting presentation earned the role. Calderón eventually portrayed Paul the bartender in the scene between Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace in this movie.
Calderón also co-wrote Abel Ferrara's 1992 crime drama Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel.
Calderón acted in The Last Castle and the critically acclaimed independent feature Girlfight. His more than three dozen film credits also include Out of Sight, Cop Land, Four Rooms, Pulp Fiction, Bad Lieutenant, The Firm, The Addiction, Q & A, Sea of Love, Clockers, King of New York and La Soga. In addition, he has made numerous guest appearances on television series, including recurring roles on Dream Street, Law & Order and Miami Vice.
In 2010, Calderón starred as Hughie Luke in Sanzhar Sultanov's period crime drama Burning Daylight.[2]