Paul Calderon
Born: 1952-01-25 in Puerto Rico
Known For: Acting
Biography
He was born in Puerto Rico 1959. Calderon 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, Calderon 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. Calderon 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. Calderon was originally slated to portray the role of Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction; Samuel L. Jackson was subsequently given the role. Correction 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. Calderon had a better initial reading than Jackson and Tarantino gave serious consideration to casting him as Jules Winnfield. Calderon portrays Paul the bartender in dialogue scene between Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace. Calderon also co-wrote Abel Ferrara's 1992 crime drama Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel. Calderon 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 and King of New York. In addition, he has made numerous guest appearances on television series, including recurring roles on Dream Street, Law & Order and Miami Vice. In 2010, Calderon is set to star as The Businessman in Sanzhar Sultanov's crime drama - The Story.
Filmography
2025
- Ironheart as CEO of Artworks
2024
- Staging Anna as Director
2023
- Justified: City Primeval as Raymond Cruz
2022
- Bosch: Legacy as Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
- East New York as Father Frank Suarez
2021
- Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
2018
- FBI as Fernando Perez
2016
- This Is Us as Older Risto Rivas
- The Strike as Walt Whitman
2015
- Bosch as Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
- Blindspot as Drill Instructor
- Fear the Walking Dead as Alejandro Núñez
2014
- Madam Secretary as Foreign Minister Albert Rojas
- Welcome to New York as Pierre
- West End as Robert Mackey
2013
- The Blacklist as Manuel Esteban
- Biodegradable as Profesor Lopez
- Bolaetrapo as Cuenta
2012
- Elementary as Zuniga
2010
- Blue Bloods as Lieutenant Perez
- Boardwalk Empire as Arquimedes
- Gun as Detective Jenkins
- Burning Daylight as Hughie Luke
- Down This Road as Father
2009
- Lie to Me as Manny Trillo
- The Hungry Ghosts as Carl
- La Soga as Rafa
- A Kiss of Chaos as Oscar Perez
2008
- Pistol Whipped as Blue
2007
- The Black Donnellys as Detective at Prison
2006
- The Sentinel as Deputy Director Cortes
2005
- Law & Order: Trial by Jury as Detective
2003
- 21 Grams as Brown
- Kill the Poor as Carlos DeJesus
2001
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Marcus Feingold
- The Education of Max Bickford as Danny Martinez
- The Last Castle as Dellwo
- 3 A.M. as Ralph
- The Atlantis Conspiracy as Guy
2000
- Bait as Cop (uncredited)
- Girlfight as Sandro Guzman
- Once in the Life as Manny Rivera
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Eric Molina
- Third Watch as Bobby's father
- Oxygen as Jesse
1998
- Out of Sight as Raymond Cruz
- Montana as Boulez
- One Tough Cop as Sgt. Diaz
- All Revved Up as Carl
1997
- Cop Land as Hector - Medic
- Dellaventura as Detective Rosario
1996
- Dark Angel as Vance Pickett
1995
- Four Rooms as Norman
- Clockers as Jesus at Hambones
- The Addiction as Professor
- Sweet Nothing as Ray
- Lotto Land as Reinaldo
- Condition Red as Angel Delgado
1994
- Pulp Fiction as Paul
- New York Undercover as Emilio Vasquez
- Hand Gun as Landwick
1993
- The Firm as Thomas Richie
1992
- The Hat Squad as Miguel Cortez
- Bad Lieutenant as Cop #1
- CrissCross as Blacky
- The Keys as Garcia
1990
- Law & Order as Father Torres
- King of New York as Joey Dalesio
- Q & A as Roger Montalvo
- The Old Man and the Sea as Anderez
1989
- Sea of Love as Serafino
- Penn & Teller Get Killed as Juan
1988
- The Chair as Pizza
- Sticky Fingers as Speed
1986
- Band of the Hand as Tito
1985
- The Equalizer as Rat Heart
- Doubletake as Bitong
- Tenement as Hector
1984
- Miami Vice as Nicky
- Community Plot