Paul Dillon is an American actor. He originated the title role in Tracy Letts's play Killer Joe at its 1993 world premiere in Evanston, Illinois, later reprising the role Off-Broadway and in Los Angeles. He also originated the role of the unnamed cab driver in Will Kern's Hellcab and reprised it in the 1997 film adaptation Chicago Cab. His television roles include the recurring role as Angelo in The Pretender, while his film appearances include Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Fight Club.
Early life and training Dillon was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, and attended Joliet West High School, where he was in the class of 1978. During the 1970s, he was a member of the Mark Taper Forum's Improvisational Theatre Project and later trained at The Second City in Chicago.
Career Dillon's early stage career was based in Chicago. He originated the role of the unnamed cab driver in Will Kern's Hellcab at the Famous Door Theatre in 1992 and the title role in Tracy Letts's play Killer Joe at the Next Theatre Lab space in Evanston the following year. After moving to Los Angeles in 1994, he returned to Hellcab for a 1995 production at the Tamarind Theatre, co-produced by his theater company, Bang Bang. He later reprised the role in the 1997 film adaptation Chicago Cab, which he also produced. Reviewing Dillon's performance in Hellcab at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1998, Derek West of The Irish Times described him as the central performer holding the production together.
Dillon continued his association with Killer Joe after the original production. He made his New York stage debut in January 1999 when he took over the title role in the Off-Broadway production at the Soho Playhouse. He again played Joe in a 2005 Los Angeles production at the Gardner Stages; reviewing the production for the Los Angeles Times, Philip Brandes praised Dillon's command of the character. A 2012 retrospective for Backstage by Gary Cole recalled the original production and singled out Dillon and Michael Shannon as its two standout performers.
His later Los Angeles stage work included Mark Roberts's Rantoul and Die in 2009, in which he played Gary. In 2011, Dillon appeared as Luther Flynn in Tracy Letts's Superior Donuts at the Geffen Playhouse. Dillon appeared opposite Patricia Scanlon in Death of a Salesgirl at the Bootleg Theatre the following year; the pair were nominated for a 2013 LA Weekly Theater Award for Two-Person Performance.
Dillon has also worked in film and television. He had a recurring role as Angelo in The Pretender from 1997 to 2000 and appeared as Chaffee in three episodes of The Shield in 2008. His film appearances include Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Fight Club and On the Road.
Selected filmography Selected film and television credits include: YearTitleRoleNotes1994BlinkNeal BookerFilm1995Cutthroat IslandSnelgraveFilm1997Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryPatty O'BrienFilmChicago CabCab DriverFilm; also producer1997–2000The PretenderAngeloTelevision series1999Fight ClubIrvinFilm2001The Pretender: Island of the HauntedAngeloTelevision film2008The ShieldChaffeeTelevision series2012On the RoadMontana SlimFilm2022Chicago FireSpiro StephanidesTelevision series2023The BikeridersThe Kid's FatherFilm
Selected stage credits YearProductionRoleVenue / notesRef1992HellcabCab DriverFamous Door Theatre, Chicago; originated the role1993Killer JoeJoe CooperNext Theatre Lab, Evanston, Illinois; world premiere1995HellcabCab DriverTamarind Theatre, Los Angeles1999Killer JoeJoe CooperSoho Playhouse, New York2005Killer JoeJoe CooperGardner Stages, Los Angeles2009Rantoul and DieGaryLillian Theatre, Los Angeles; world premiere2011Superior DonutsLuther FlynnGeffen Playhouse20119 CirclesVarious rolesBootleg Theatre, Los Angeles2012Death of a SalesgirlFrank2013American BuffaloWalter Cole ("Teach")Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles; understudy2013HellcabCab DriverProfiles Theatre, Chicago; revival
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