Personal life

Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg

Parkersburg, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...

, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene (née Barringer), a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist

Cartoonist

A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...

 as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 before discovering acting while at college. He is married to writer Winnie Holzman

Winnie Holzman

Winnie Holzman is an American dramatist, screenwriter and poet. She created the ABC television series My So-Called Life, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination for writing in 1995...

, with whom he has one daughter, Savannah Dooley

Savannah Dooley

Savannah Dooley is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known as the co-creator of the television series Huge.-Early life:...

 (born 1985).

Career

Moving to New York, he soon found success as a regular on the stage. Also having an interest in comedy, Dooley was a standup comedian

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...

 for five years, and a member of the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in NYC, as well as having brief stints as a magician

Magic (illusion)

Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...

 and as a clown

Clown

Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...

. Not afraid of trying different areas of entertainment, he also worked as a writer. He was one of the writers on The Electric Company, which the character Paul the Gorilla was named after, and appeared in commercials

Television advertisement

A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...

.

Besides appearing in many movies, including most notably Popeye

Popeye (film)

Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...

, Sixteen Candles

Sixteen Candles

Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...

, and Breaking Away

Breaking Away

Breaking Away is a 1979 American film. A coming of age story, it follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley...

, Dooley has also appeared as a variety of recurrent characters on numerous television shows, including My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...

, Dream On

Dream On (TV series)

Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...

, Grace Under Fire, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...

, ALF

ALF (TV series)

ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...

(playing Whizzer Deaver) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...

where he played the recurring role of Enabran Tain. He guest starred in other primetime shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...

, The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...

, and Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...

. In 2000, he was nominated for an Emmy Award

Emmy Award

An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

 for his role as an eccentric

Eccentricity (behavior)

In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...

 judge on The Practice

The Practice

The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...

. He was also in the infamous alternate ending to Little Shop of Horrors, but was replaced by Jim Belushi

James Belushi

James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...

 in the final cut.

In 2010, Dooley played the part of the head chef at Camp Victory, a fictional fat camp, on the short-lived ABC Family original series Huge

Huge (TV series)

Huge is a short lived American drama series that aired on the ABC Family television network. The series is based on the young-adult novel of the same name by Sasha Paley. The hour-long drama series revolves around eight teens sent to a summer weight-loss camp called Camp Victory...

.

Filmography

• Fore Play
  Fore Play
  Fore Play is a 1975 comedy film co-directed by future Academy Award-winner John G. Avildsen. It is currently being distributed by Troma Entertainment...
  
  (1975)
• Slap Shot
  Slap Shot (film)
  Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town.- Plot :...
  
  (1977)
• A Wedding
  A Wedding
  A Wedding is a 1978 black comedy film directed by Robert Altman, starring Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Geraldine Chaplin, Vittorio Gassman, Mia Farrow, Lauren Hutton, Craig Richard Nelson, Pam Dawber, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, and Howard Duff...
  
  (1978)
• A Perfect Couple
  A Perfect Couple
  A Perfect Couple is a 1979 film directed by Robert Altman.- Plot :An older man, played by Paul Dooley, tries romancing a younger woman, played by Marta Heflin. She is part of a travelling band of bohemian musicians who perform gigs in outdoor arenas around the country. He joins them on the road...
  
  (1979)
• Breaking Away
  Breaking Away
  Breaking Away is a 1979 American film. A coming of age story, it follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley...
  
  (1979)
• Rich Kids (1979)
• Popeye
  Popeye (film)
  Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
  
  (1980)
• Paternity
  Paternity (film)
  Paternity is a 1981 film comedy that stars Burt Reynolds, Beverly D'Angelo, Paul Dooley, Elizabeth Ashley and Lauren Hutton, directed by David Steinberg. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on October 2, 1981.-Plot:...
  
  (1981)
• Endangered Species
  Endangered Species (film)
  Endangered Species is a 1982 science fiction film directed and co-written by Alan Rudolph.-Plot:Ruben Castle is a retired New York City cop and a recovering alcoholic...
  
  (1982)
• Kiss Me Goodbye
  Kiss Me Goodbye (film)
  Kiss Me Goodbye is a 1982 film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Sally Field in a Golden Globe nominated performance. The movie also stars James Caan and Jeff Bridges.-Plot:...
  
  (1982)
• Strange Brew
  Strange Brew
  The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew is a 1983 Canadian comedy film starring the popular SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served as co-directors. Max von Sydow co-stars....
  
  (1983)
• Sixteen Candles
  Sixteen Candles
  Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
  
  (1984)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
• Monster in the Closet
  Monster in the Closet
  Monster in the Closet is a 1986 horror/comedy with a veteran cast, including Howard Duff and John Carradine, as well as The Black Eyed Peas' Stacy Ferguson and Paul Walker in early roles. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment...
  
  (1986)
• O.C. and Stiggs
  O.C. and Stiggs
  O.C. and Stiggs is a 1987 film directed by Robert Altman, based on two characters that were originally featured in a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine. The film stars Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry as the title characters...
  
  (1987)
• Lip Service (1988)
• Last Rites
  Last Rites (film)
  Last Rites is a 1988 thriller film written and directed by Donald P. Bellisario and starring Tom Berenger.-Synopsis:Father Michael is a New York priest with close ties to the Mafia crime syndicate -- his father is a don. The priest's brother-in-law, a mafia boss, is murdered while having sex with...
  
  (1988)
• When He's Not a Stranger
  When He's Not a Stranger
  When He's Not a Stranger is a 1989 Made for TV drama movie, starring Annabeth Gish and John Terlesky about a college freshman who is sexually assaulted by a football jock. It sums up the ordeal that rape victims experience and the sexual assault on college campuses...
  
  (1989) (TV)
• Flashback (1990)
• White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd
  White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd
  White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd is a 1991 television film. The film is a biographical film, on the life of the 1930s comedienne actress Thelma Todd...
  
  (1991)
• The Player
  The Player
  The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
  
  (1992)
• Shakes the Clown
  Shakes the Clown
  Shakes the Clown is a 1992 American movie directed and written by Bobcat Goldthwait, who performs the title role. It also features Julie Brown, Blake Clark, Paul Dooley, Kathy Griffin, Florence Henderson, Tom Kenny, Adam Sandler, Scott Herriott, LaWanda Page, Jack Gallagher, and a cameo by Robin...
  
  (1992)
• State of Emergency (1993)
• A Dangerous Woman
  A Dangerous Woman (1993 film)
  A Dangerous Woman is a 1993 film from Amblin Entertainment and Gramercy Pictures directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and written for the screen by his then wife Naomi Foner...
  
  (1993)
• My Boyfriend's Back
  My Boyfriend's Back (film)
  My Boyfriend's Back is a 1993 American romantic black comedy/fantasy/horror film directed by Bob Balaban which tells the story of Johnny Dingle, a teenage boy who returns from the dead as a zombie to meet Missy McCloud, the girl he's in love with, for a date...
  
  (1993)
• Evolver
  Evolver (film)
  Evolver is a 1995 Mark Rosman horror/science fiction B-movie. It starred Ethan Embry, Cassidy Rae, Chance Quinn, and John de Lancie. It also had William H. Macy as the voice of Evolver...
  
  (1994)
• The Underneath (1994)
• Out There (1995)
• God's Lonely Man (1996)
• Millennium
  Millennium (TV series)
  Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
  
  (1996) (TV)
• Angels in the Endzone
  Angels in the Endzone
  Angels in the Endzone is a 1997 American film directed by Gary Nadeau and starring Christopher Lloyd. The film is about a high school football team that lacks skill.-Plot:...
  
  (1997)
• Telling Lies in America (1997)
• Waiting for Guffman
  Waiting for Guffman
  Waiting for Guffman is a mockumentary starring, co-written and directed by Christopher Guest that was released in 1997. Its cast included Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Parker Posey and others who would appear in several of the subsequent mockumentaries directed by Guest.The title of...
  
  (1997)
• Clockwatchers
  Clockwatchers
  Clockwatchers is an American comedy-drama film released in 1997. Directed by Jill Sprecher, it stars Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Toni Collette and Alanna Ubach as temporary office staffers in an office complex....
  
  (1998)
• Happy, Texas (movie) (1999)
• Guinevere
  Guinevere (film)
  Guinevere is a film about the artistic and romantic relationship between a young student and her older mentor.The film was written and directed by Audrey Wells and stars Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, Jean Smart, and Gina Gershon. The running time is 105 minutes. The film was a 1999 Sundance Film...
  
  (1999)
• Runaway Bride
  Runaway Bride (1999 film)
  Runaway Bride is a 1999 American romantic comedy film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and directed by Garry Marshall. The screenplay was written by Josann McGibbon, Audrey Wells and Sara Parriott.-Plot:...
  
  (1999)
• A Woman's a Helluva Thing (2001)
• Insomnia
  Insomnia (2002 film)
  Insomnia is an American psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. The film, released on 24 May 2002, is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name.-Plot:...
  
  (2002)
• Crazy Little Thing
  Crazy Little Thing
  Crazy Little Thing is a 2002 romantic comedy film written and directed by Matthew Miller. The film stars Chris Eigeman and Jenny McCarthy.- Cast :* Chris Eigeman as Jimmy* Jenny McCarthy as Whitney Ann Barnsley...
  
  (2003)
• A Mighty Wind
  A Mighty Wind
  A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
  
  (2003)
• Come Away Home (2005)
• Madison
  Madison (film)
  Madison is a semi-fictional 2001 film about APBA hydroplane racing in the 1970s. It stars James Caviezel as a driver who comes out of retirement to lead the Madison, Indiana community-owned racing team.-Background:...
  
  (2005)
• Cars
  Cars (film)
  Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
  
  (2006)
• Hairspray
  Hairspray (2007 film)
  Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
  
  (2007)
• Scrubs
  Scrubs (TV series)
  Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
  
  (2009) (TV)
• Sunshine Cleaning
  Sunshine Cleaning
  Sunshine Cleaning is a 2008 comedy-drama film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. It was purchased by Overture Films for distribution and opened in limited release in...
  
  (2009)
• Huge
  Huge (TV series)
  Huge is a short lived American drama series that aired on the ABC Family television network. The series is based on the young-adult novel of the same name by Sasha Paley. The hour-long drama series revolves around eight teens sent to a summer weight-loss camp called Camp Victory...
  
  (2010) (TV)
• Cars 2
  Cars 2
  Cars 2 is a 2011 American computer-animated action film produced by Pixar, and it is the sequel to the 2006 film, Cars. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater becomes sidetracked with international espionage...
  
  (2011)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine appearances

• "The Wire"
• "Improbable Cause"
• "The Die is Cast"
• "In Purgatory's Shadow"

External links