Paul William Downs (born November 21, 1982) is an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is the co-creator, co-

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

and one of the stars of the critically acclaimed

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

series '' Hacks'', for which he has received two

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

, a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

, and three

Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

Awards, among others. Downs first gained attention for his role in the

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

series ''

Broad City ''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...

'', which ran for five seasons and for which he was also a writer, director and executive producer.

Early life

Downs was born in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

and raised in Sussex Borough, New Jersey. His middle name, William, is taken from his great-grandfather. He attended the Peck School for seventh and eighth grade where he performed in the ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' and won a drama award. For high school, he attended the

Pingry School The Pingry School is a coeducational, independent, college preparatory country day school in New Jersey, with a Lower School (K–5) campus in the Short Hills neighborhood of Millburn, a Middle (6–8) and Upper School (9–12) campus in ...

.Horowitz, Steven J
"Paul W. Downs' Feminist Ideals Are in His Work, Not on a T-Shirt"
''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', June 19, 2017. Accessed March 14, 2022. "Comedy and acting have always been Downs' calling. Native to Sussex, New Jersey, he attended the private institution The Pingry School for his high school years, participating in its acting program and swimming, the latter of which he continued at Duke University for a short spell." Downs studied theater at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

where he did improv as a member of Duke University Improv (DUI).

Career

Downs has been creating digital shorts with

Lucia Aniello Lucia Aniello (born 1983) is an Italian-born American director, writer, and producer best known for her work on '' Hacks'', for which she won multiple Emmy Awards, and ''Broad City.'' She has directed and written episodes of both shows, as well a ...

under the moniker Paulilu since the pair met at the

Upright Citizens Brigade The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Amy Poehler, Matthew Walsh, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, ...

. In 2012, they made a

web series A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...

called ''Paulilu Mixtape'' for

Above Average Productions Above Average Productions is an online comedy distributor and multi-channel network owned by Broadway Video. As of February 1, 2016, the network has over 8.6 million subscribers and 2.4 billion views on YouTube. History and Formation Above Aver ...

, a division of

Broadway Video Broadway Video is an American multimedia entertainment studio founded by Lorne Michaels, creator of the sketch comedy TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' and producer of other television programs and movies. Broadway Video also held the rights to m ...

. From 2014–2019, Downs played Trey Pucker on the

sitcom ''

''. Trey is a fitness instructor and the boss turned romantic interest of Abbi Abrams (played by Abbi Jacobson) at Soulstice. On April 29, 2015, it was announced that Downs and Aniello would be writing a female spin-off of ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, spanning 103 episodes over five s ...

''. On June 22, 2015, it was announced that the duo sold their script for ''Move That Body'', a feature film acquired by

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

. Retitled '' Rough Night'' and released in 2017, Aniello directed, while Downs co-starred opposite

Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. The List of highest-paid film actors, world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100, ''F ...

in the film. In 2016 he wrote and starred in his own 30-minute episode of the

sketch show Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

'' Netflix Presents: The Characters''. On April 20, 2016 Downs starred in the Comedy Central miniseries ''

Time Traveling Bong ''Time Traveling Bong'' is an American miniseries created and written by Ilana Glazer, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello. The series, starring Glazer and Downs and directed by Aniello, aired on Comedy Central as a "three-night event" with each e ...

'' alongside ''Broad City'' co-star

Ilana Glazer Ilana Glazer (born April 12, 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and activist. They have received various accolades including a Daytime Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Primetime ...

. In 2018, Downs co-starred in

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

's summer comedy '' Like Father'' opposite

Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. List of Kristen Bell performances, Her work includes both film and television, and List of awards and nominations received by Kristen Bell, h ...

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...

, and

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

. Downs is showrunning and co-starring in the

show '' Hacks'', starring

Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. Jean Smart filmography, Her work includes both comedy and drama, and List of awards and nominations received by Jean Smart, her accolades include six Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

. The first season of ''Hacks'' garnered 15

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

nominations and 3 wins, including "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series", "Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series", and Jean Smart won "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series". The series won two

Writers Guild of America Awards The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

in the categories of "Comedy Series" and "New Series", and Aniello won a

Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...

in the category of "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series". The series also took home two

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...

for "Best Musical or Comedy TV Series" and "Best Television Actress in a Musical or Comedy". ''Hacks'' was honored as one of the "Outstanding Television Programs of the Year" at the American Film Institute Awards and won a 2022

. Season 1 of ''Hacks'' also received various award nominations at the

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

, Critics Choice Awards,

Producers Guild of America Awards The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to ...

, and the

Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards () are American film awards, presented annually to the makers of independent films at a ceremony in New York City, the city first nicknamed "Gotham" by native son Washington Irving, in an issue of ''Salmagundi'', published on ...

. In its second season, ''Hacks'' received 17

nominations and 3 wins, including "Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series", "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series", and "Outstanding Contemporary Costumes". The series won a

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

in the "Episodic Comedy" category, and was honored as one of the "Outstanding Television Programs of the Year" at the American Film Institute Awards for its second consecutive year. Jean Smart also won a

Critics Choice Award The Critics' Choice Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Written ballots are ...

for "Best Actress in a Comedy Series" for her second consecutive year. The series was nominated for three

, two

, and a

Producers Guild of America Award Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes ...

. In 2021, Downs and Aniello struck a deal with

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios, operating under the name Warner Bros. Television (abbreviated as WBTV; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division), is an American television production and distribution studio and the flagship studio o ...

. On January 31, 2025, Downs appeared on season 17 of ''

Rupaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...

'' as a guest judge. Downs had a

cameo role A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking one ...

in the eighth episode of ''The Studio'', which premiered on May 6, 2025.

Personal life

He lives in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

with Lucia Aniello, his wife and comedy partner. After having their wedding delayed for 16 months due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Downs and Aniello got married in a September 2021 intimate ceremony in Italy. A week later, they publicly announced their wedding at the

73rd Primetime Emmy Awards The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2020, until May 31, 2021, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The award ceremony was held live on September 19, 2021, ...

during Aniello's acceptance speech after winning the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. They have a son, born in 2022.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Paul W. Living people American male television actors American male television writers American television writers American sketch comedians Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American male actors People from Sussex, New Jersey Primetime Emmy Award winners Pingry School alumni Male actors from New Jersey Duke University alumni American male screenwriters Film producers from New Jersey American male film actors Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers 21st-century American comedians 1982 births 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers American showrunners Writers Guild of America Award winners Comedians from Sussex County, New Jersey American male comedians Actors from Sussex County, New Jersey