Paul Calderón is a Puerto Rican actor, writer, director and producer. He is a founding member of the

Touchstone Theatre Touchstone Theatre is a professional theatre company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1976 by a group of University of British Columbia theatre graduates. Touchstone's focus is on the development and production of Canadian works ...

, the American Folk Theatre and the

LAByrinth Theater Company LAByrinth Theater Company is a non-profit, Off-Broadway theater company based in New York City. Led by Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz for many years, its artistic director is Ortiz. The New York Times described it in 2014 as "an ethnical ...

. He is also a member of the Actors Studio, auditioning and accepted as a member in 1984 alongside

Melissa Leo Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Critics' Choice A ...

and two other actors.

Early life

Calderón was born in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, and moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

as a child. After a stint in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, studied acting under the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

. He became a member of the Actors Studio in 1984, and was a founding member of the

Career

Calderón got his big break in 1984 in a revival of Miguel Piñero's '' Short Eyes'' directed by Kevin Conway at the

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

. In 1995 he won an Obie and an

Audelco AUDELCO, the Audience Development Committee, Inc., was established in 1973 by Vivian Robinson to honor excellence in African American theatre in New York City. AUDELCO presents the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Awards (also known as Viv awa ...

Award for his performance in ''Blade to the Heat'' at the

Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American ...

. His most notable

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

role was opposite Robert De Niro in ''Cuba and His Teddy Bear''. He appeared Off-Broadway in such plays as ''

Requiem for a Heavyweight "Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the live television show ''Playhouse 90'' on 11 October 1956. Six years later, it was adapted as a 1962 feature film starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey R ...

''; ''Two Sisters and a Piano'' and ''Dancing on Her Knees'', both written by

Nilo Cruz Nilo Cruz is a Cuban-American playwright and pedagogue. With his award of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play '' Anna in the Tropics'', he became the second Latino so honored, after Nicholas Dante. Biography Early years Cruz was bor ...

; ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...

'' at the

Delacorte Theater The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions. Over five million people have attended more than 15 ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

, in the role of

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

; and ''Divine Horsemen'' for the LAByrinth Theater Company, a play which he had written, directed and produced. In the 1980s, Calderón appeared in several TV series. He acted in three episodes of ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two M ...

'', playing a different character in each. He also appeared in the extended music video of " Bad" by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

(who played the film's main character, Darryl). Calderón co-wrote

Abel Ferrara Abel Ferrara (born July 19, 1951) is an American filmmaker, known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use of neo-noir imagery and gritty urban settings. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best kn ...

's 1992 crime drama ''

Bad Lieutenant ''Bad Lieutenant'' is a 1992 American neo-noir crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. The film stars Harvey Keitel as the titular "bad lieutenant" as well as Victor Argo and Paul Calderón. The screenplay was co-written by Ferrara with actress-mod ...

'', starring

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...

; Calderón also performed in the film. He has had various short stories published in literary journals. His last published story was "Primitive Grace" for the international e-magazine ''Noir Nation''. Calderón was almost cast as Jules Winnfield in the 1994 film ''

Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...

'', since director

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

was so impressed by his audition. The role eventually went to

Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...

, but Calderón was given a role as a bartender, Paul, who quips the famous line, "Hey, my name's Paul and this shit's between y'all," to John Travolta's character, Vincent Vega. He has performed in numerous feature films, including ''

King of New York ''King of New York'' is a 1990 neo-noir gangster film directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St. John. It stars Christopher Walken as a New York City drug kingpin rebuilding his criminal empire after his release from prison, while al ...

'', ''

Sea of Love Sea of Love may refer to * ''Sea of Love'' (film), a 1989 American thriller film * "Sea of Love" (Phil Phillips song), a 1959 song by Phil Phillips and The Twilights, covered by many performers * "Sea of Love" (The National song), 2013 * ''The S ...

'', ''

The Last Castle ''The Last Castle'' is a 2001 American action drama film directed by Rod Lurie, starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo and Delroy Lindo. The film portrays a struggle between inmates and the warden of a military prison, based o ...

'', '' The Firm'', ''

Four Rooms ''Four Rooms'' is a 1995 American anthology farce black comedy film co-written and co-directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, loosely based on the adult short fiction writings of Roald Dahl. The ...

'', ''

Out of Sight ''Out of Sight'' is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel of the same name. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor Georg ...

'', '' La Soga'', ''

Cop Land ''Cop Land'' is a 1997 American neo-noir crime drama film written and directed by James Mangold. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Robert De Niro, with Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robe ...

'', ''

Addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

'', and ''

21 Grams ''21 Grams'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu from a screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston and Benicio Del Toro. The sec ...

''. He has made many guest appearances on television series, including recurring roles on ''

Dream Street Dream Street were an American pop music, pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers. History The ...

'', '' Law & Order'' and ''

''. In 2012, he guest-starred in the '' Blue Bloods'' episode "Domestic Disturbance", playing Lieutenant Martin Perez. (He reprised the role in the 2016 ''Blue Bloods'' episode "Back in the Day".) Calderón worked on two films in 2012: ''West End'', directed by Joe Basille; and ''Biodegradable'', a futuristic film shot in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

with an all Latino cast, directed by Juan Basanta. In 2014, he played Arquimedes, the bodyguard of

Enoch "Nucky" Thompson Enoch Malachi "Nucky" Thompson is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO TV series '' Boardwalk Empire'', portrayed by Steve Buscemi. Nucky is loosely based on former Atlantic City, New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis "Nuck ...

in seven episodes of the fifth (final) season of the HBO series '' Boardwalk Empire''. He played Alejandro, a recurring role on '' Fear the Walking Dead''. Since 2017, he has appeared as Detective Santiago "Jimmy" Robertson on the Amazon TV series, '' Bosch''.

Personal life

Calderón lives in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

with his wife Catherine. They have two children.

Filmography

* ''

Tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, i ...

'' (1985) - Hector * '' Rockabye'' (1986 television film) - Street Vendor * ''

Band of the Hand ''Band of the Hand'' is a 1986 American action crime neo noir thriller film directed by Paul Michael Glaser starring Stephen Lang, Leon Robinson, James Remar, Lauren Holly, and Laurence Fishburne. The film's score was composed and performed by ...

'' (1986) - Tito * ''

Sticky Fingers ''Sticky Fingers'' is the 9th British and 11th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The Stones released it on 23 April 1971 on their new, and own label Rolling Stones Records. They had been contracted by Decc ...

'' (1988) - Speed * ''

'' (1989) - Juan * ''The Chair'' (1989) - Pizza * ''

'' (1990) - Joey Dalesio * '' Q&A'' (1990) * ''

CrissCross ''CrissCross'' is a 1992 American drama film directed by Chris Menges and written by Scott Sommer, based on his homonymous novel. It stars Goldie Hawn, Arliss Howard, Keith Carradine, Steve Buscemi, and David Arnott. Plot Divorced mom T ...

'' (1992) - Blacky * ''

'' (1992) - Cop #1 * '' The Firm'' (1993) - Thomas Richie * ''

'' (1994) - Paul * '' Clockers'' (1995) - Jesus at Hambones * ''

The Addiction ''The Addiction'' is a 1995 American vampire horror film directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken and Annabella Sciorra. Edie Falco and Kathryn Erbe appear in supporting roles. The film was written by Ferrara's frequ ...

'' (1995) - Professor * ''

'' (1995) - Norman (Segment: "The Man from Hollywood") * ''

'' (1997) - Hector * ''

OK Garage ''OK Garage'' (also known as ''All Revved Up'') is a 1998 film written and directed by Brandon Cole. The film won several awards at different film festivals. It premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. Plot A wo ...

'' (1998) - Carl * ''

One Tough Cop ''One Tough Cop'' is a 1998 American action crime film. It was directed by Bruno Barreto and written by Jeremy Iacone. The movie stars Stephen Baldwin as the protagonist and first-person narrator Bo Dietl, a real-life New York City detective wh ...

'' (1998) - Sgt. Diaz * ''

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

'' (1999) - Jesse * ''

Girlfight ''Girlfight'' is a 2000 American sports drama film written and directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Michelle Rodriguez in both of their film debuts. It follows Diana Guzman, a troubled teenager from Brooklyn who decides to channel her aggressio ...

'' (2000) - Sandro Guzman * ''

Once in the Life ''Once in the Life'' is a 2000 American direct-to-video crime film written , directed and starring Laurence Fishburne. He adapted the script from his own play, ''Riff Raff''. Plot Once you're in the life of drug dealing and organized crime, ...

'' (2000) - Manny Rivera * ''

'' (2001) - Sergeant Major Dellwo * ''

Kill the Poor "Kill the Poor" is a song by Dead Kennedys, released in October 1980 on Cherry Red Records as the band's third single, with "In-sight" as its B-side. The song is a scathing satire of the elite who if given the chance, would wipe out the impover ...

'' (2003) - Carlos * ''

'' - Brown * '' The Sentinel'' (2006) - Deputy Director Cortes * '' La Soga'' (2009) - Rafa * '' The Hungry Ghosts'' (2009) - Carl * '' Lie to Me- “Unchained”-S1 E5'' (2009) - Manny Trillo * '' Boardwalk Empire'' (2014) - Arquimedes * '' Fear the Walking Dead'' (television series; 2016) - Alejandro (6 episodes) * '' Bosch'' (television series; 2017—2021) - Detective Santiago Robertson * ''

Antrum ''This is a disambiguation page for the biological term. For the 2018 horror movie, see Antrum (film)'' In biology, antrum is a general term for a cavity or chamber, which may have specific meaning in reference to certain organs or sites in the bod ...

'' (2018) - Dr. Ivan Gaston

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Calderon, Paul Living people Obie Award recipients People from East Harlem People from the Lower East Side Puerto Rican male film actors Puerto Rican male stage actors Puerto Rican male television actors Year of birth missing (living people)

Early life

Career

Personal life

Filmography

See also

References

External links