Paul Calderon
Encyclopedia
Paul Calderón is an American
actor.
He was born in Puerto Rico
. 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 ended portraing Paul the bartender in dialogue 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor.
He was born in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Calderón moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with his family at the age of six, where he grew up on the streets of the Lower East Side and Spanish Harlem
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
. Following some time in college, he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
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
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
role was opposite Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
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
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of Troilus and Cressida in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. 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
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
; 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 ended portraing Paul the bartender in dialogue scene between Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace in this movie.
Calderón also co-wrote Abel Ferrara
Abel Ferrara
Abel Ferrara is an American film screenwriter and director. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer , Ms. 45 , King of New York , Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral .-Early life:Ferrara was born in the Bronx of Italian and Irish descent...
's 1992 crime drama Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant is a 1992 crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel as the eponymous "bad lieutenant". The screenplay was written by actress-model Zoë Lund. She also played a small role in the film. Lund had been discovered by Ferrara and had starred in his earlier film, Ms...
, starring Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
.
Calderón acted in The Last Castle
The Last Castle
The Last Castle is a 2001 American drama film directed by Rod Lurie, starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, and Mark Ruffalo.The film portrays a struggle between inmates and the warden of the prison, based on the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth. Eugene Irwin, a highly...
and the critically acclaimed independent feature Girlfight. His more than three dozen film credits also include Out of Sight
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
, Cop Land
Cop Land
Cop Land is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by James Mangold. It features an ensemble cast including Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta.-Plot:...
, Four Rooms
Four Rooms
Four Rooms is a 1995 portmanteau comedy film telling four stories set in a hotel in the US city of Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Tim Roth stars as the principal character of the frame tale; he also takes part to some degree in all four stories....
, Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
, Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant
Bad Lieutenant is a 1992 crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel as the eponymous "bad lieutenant". The screenplay was written by actress-model Zoë Lund. She also played a small role in the film. Lund had been discovered by Ferrara and had starred in his earlier film, Ms...
, The Firm, The Addiction
The Addiction
The Addiction is an unconventional 1995 vampire film by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Paul Calderón and Christopher Walken...
, Q & A
Q&A (film)
Q & A is a 1990 crime film co-written and directed by Sidney Lumet, based on a novel by New York judge Edwin Torres. It stars Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton and Armand Assante.-Plot summary:...
, Sea of Love, Clockers, King of New York
King of New York
King of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
and La Soga
La Soga
La Soga is a 2009 action film directed by Joshua Crook starring Manny Perez and Denise Quiñones. It tells the story of Luisito, a brave man who risks everything to find justice...
. In addition, he has made numerous guest appearances on television series, including recurring roles on Dream Street, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
.
In 2010, Calderón starred as Hughie Luke in Sanzhar Sultanov
Sanzhar Sultanov
Sanzhar Sultanov is a Kazakhstan-born film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:Sultanov grew up in a small village of Korday, Kazakhstan. He grew up and studied in England, Canada and the USA...
's period crime drama Burning Daylight.