Paul Dooley (né Brown; born February 22, 1928) is an American character actor, television writer and comedian. He is known for his roles in Breaking Away, Popeye, Strange Brew, Sixteen Candles, Cars and various Christopher Guest mockumentaries. He co-created the PBS children's show The Electric Company.
Early life Dooley was born Paul Brown on February 22, 1928, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene (née Barringer), a homemaker, and Pete James Brown, a factory worker.
He said Parkersburg had few attractions that interested him because there were not many cultural opportunities. He enjoyed listening to comedians on the radio, especially Jimmy Durante. In high school, he often performed at fairs as a clown named Dooley. In the mid-1950s, he legally changed his surname to match his clown persona, there already being a Broadway actor named Paul Brown.
Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. In 1946, he joined the United States Navy and served for two years before returning home and graduating from West Virginia State University in 1952.
Career After graduation Dooley went to New York City to work in the entertainment industry. He initially found work as a clown for children's birthday parties.
In the early 1950s he made his debut on the New York stage and was discovered by director Mike Nichols cast him in 1965's The Odd Couple on Broadway. Dooley appeared as Oscar's poker crony, Homer "Speed" Deegan and understudied Art Carney, who portrayed Felix Unger; when Carney left the play later on, Dooley assumed the role of Felix. Dooley was represented by the William Morris Agency, thanks to a referral from Walter Matthau, who played Oscar Madison in the play.
Also having an interest in comedy, Dooley was a stand-up comedian for five years, eventually landing on The Tonight Show, and a member of the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in New York City. Fellow members of The Second City at that time were Alan Arkin and Alan Alda.
Dooley also worked as a writer. He created and was one of the head writers on The Electric Company, produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. Dooley wrote "runners", a series of short sketches with 8 or 10 characters that were broadcast over the course of several weeks. He found out years later that Carl Reiner had recommended him for the job. Some of the characters Dooley created for The Electric Company included Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman) and Fargo North, Decoder (Skip Hinnant), as well as the soap opera spoof Love of Chair.
Dooley formed a company with Andrew Duncan and Lynne Lipton called All Over Creation to create commercials for radio and television. They produced around 500 TV commercials and 1,000 radio spots. A character named Paul the Gorilla that appeared in television commercials was named after him.
Films Dooley has appeared in such films as Sixteen Candles, Popeye, Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure, Breaking Away, Runaway Bride, and the voice of Sarge in the Disney/Pixar films Cars, Cars 2 and Cars 3.
He worked with Robert Altman regularly and is known as a prolific journeyman character actor. After Altman saw Dooley in the Jules Feiffer comedy Hold Me, he signed him for a role in his film A Wedding.
He and Altman co-wrote the film Health.
He was also in the director's cut of Little Shop of Horrors, but was replaced by Jim Belushi in the final cut.
Dooley has worked with Christopher Guest on a number of films, including Death Wish, Little Shop of Horrors, and the Guest-directed films Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
Television Dooley has also appeared as a variety of recurrent characters on numerous television shows, including ER, My So-Called Life, Dream On, Grace Under Fire, thirtysomething, Curb Your Enthusiasm, ALF (playing Whizzer Deaver), Chicago Hope, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where he played the recurring role of Enabran Tain. He guest starred in other primetime shows like Bewitched, The Wonder Years, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Hot in Cleveland, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Desperate Housewives. With Rita Moreno, he appeared in The Golden Girls episode "Empty Nests" which had been intended to be a backdoor pilot for what would eventually become Empty Nest. Dooley starred in the short-lived comedy about a couple living in an Arizona retirement community, Coming of Age, opposite veteran actors Phyllis Newman, Glynis Johns and Alan Young. In 2000, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as an eccentric judge on The Practice.
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, which was created and written by his wife and daughter.
In 2014, he appeared in an episode of the NBC series Parenthood as Rocky, a fellow vet and retiree to Craig T. Nelson's Zeek Braverman.
In 2017, he appeared in the episode "22 Steps" of the ABC series The Good Doctor as Glenn, a 72-year-old man with a failing heart who breaks his pacemaker because he wants to die due to the constant pain he is suffering.
Theater Dooley co-wrote the play Assisted Living with his wife Winnie Holzman. It was their first theatrical collaboration. The play premiered on April 5, 2013.
Personal life Dooley has been married to Winnie Holzman, whom he first met at an improv acting class in New York, since November 18, 1984. The couple have a daughter Savannah and live in Toluca Lake in Los Angeles.
Dooley was previously married to Donna Lee Wasser on September 19, 1958, which ended in divorce. He has three children from his first marriage.
In 2022, Dooley published his memoir, titled Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1964 The Parisienne and the Prudes Ted K. Worrie 1970 The Out-of-Towners Hotel Clerk - Day 1972 Up the Sandbox Statue of Liberty Guard 1974 The Gravy Train Doctor Death Wish Cop At Hospital Uncredited 1975 Fore Play Salesman 1977 Slap Shot Hyannisport Announcer Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure Gazooks Voice 1978 A Wedding "Snooks" Brenner 1979 A Perfect Couple Alex Theodopoulos Breaking Away Ray Stohler Rich Kids Simon Peterfreund 1980 Health Dr. Gil Gainey Popeye J. Wellington Wimpy 1981 Paternity Kurt 1982 Endangered Species Joe Hiatt Kiss Me Goodbye Kendall 1983 Strange Brew Uncle Claude Elsinore Going Berserk Dr. Ted 1984 Sixteen Candles Jim Baker 1985 O.C. and Stiggs Randall Schwab 1986 Little Shop of Horrors Patrick Martin Director's cut only Monster in the Closet Roy Big Trouble Noozel 1988 Last Rites Father Freddie Lip Service Gilbert "Gil" Hutchinson 1990 Flashback Stark 1991 White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd Hal Roach Shakes the Clown Owen Cheese 1992 The Player Himself 1993 My Boyfriend's Back Chuck "Big Chuck" A Dangerous Woman Tupperware Salesman 1995 Evolver Jerry Briggs Out There Emmett Davis The Underneath Ed Dutton 1996 God's Lonely Man Polo Waiting for Guffman UFO Abductee 1997 Loved Leo AmersonClockwatchers Bud ChapmanTelling Lies in America Father NortonAngels in the Endzone Coach Buck 1999Happy, Texas The JudgeGuinevere Walter Error in Judgment Jack Albert Runaway Bride Walter Carpenter 2000 I'll Remember April Earl Schimmel 2001 Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street Hank, The Janitor / Mall Santa Voice Stealing Time Hank 2002 Crazy Little Thing Jimmy's Dad Insomnia Chief Charlie "Bubbles" Nyback 2003 A Mighty Wind George Menschell Nobody Knows Anything! The Warden 2004 Employee of the Month Reverend Ben Goodwin Adventures in Homeschooling (Short) "Pop" Hemple 2005 Come Away Home Grandpa Donald Brooks Madison Mayor Don Vaughn 2006 Cars Sarge Voice For Your Consideration Paper Badge Sergeant 2007 Hairspray Mr. Spritzer Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 2008 Sunshine Cleaning Sherman "Sherm" Chronic Town Eleanor's Father Bedtime Stories Hot Dog Vendor 2009 Horsemen Father Whiteleather 2010 Ironmen Connors 2011 Thanks Hank Cars 2 Sarge Voice 2012 Game Night Marvin Garden 2013 Turbo The Foreman Voice 2016 Other People Ronnie The Holy Man Lou "The Bull" Devine 2017 Cars 3 Sarge Voice 2020 Selfie Dad Barber 2021 Saving Paradise Gramps 2023 Boy Makes Girl Ben
Television