person poster

Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1952-01-25 (73 years old)

Place of Birth

Puerto Rico

Paul Calderon

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.

Known For

Acting

2025

Pulp Fiction: The Making Of as Self (archive footage)

2024

Staging Anna as Director

2023

Justified: City Primeval as Raymond Cruz

2022

East New York as Father Frank Suarez
Bosch: Legacy as Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson

2021

2016

The Strike as Walt Whitman
This Is Us as Older Risto Rivas

2015

Blindspot as Drill Instructor
Fear the Walking Dead as Alejandro Núñez
Bosch as Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson

2014

West End as Robert Mackey

2013

Biodegradable as Profesor Lopez
Bolaetrapo as Cuenta
The Blacklist as Manuel Esteban

2012

Elementary as Zuniga

2010

Burning Daylight as Hughie Luke
Gun as Detective Jenkins
Down This Road as Father
Blue Bloods as Lieutenant Perez

2009

A Kiss of Chaos as Oscar Perez
Lie to Me as Manny Trillo

2008

2007

The Black Donnellys as Detective at Prison

2006

The Sentinel as Deputy Director Cortes

2005

2003

Kill the Poor as Carlos DeJesus
21 Grams as Brown

2001

2000

Girlfight as Sandro Guzman
Bait as Cop (uncredited)
Once in the Life as Manny Rivera

1999

Oxygen as Jesse
Third Watch as Bobby's father

1998

Montana as Boulez
One Tough Cop as Sgt. Diaz
Out of Sight as Raymond Cruz

1997

Cop Land as Hector - Medic
Dellaventura as Detective Rosario

1996

Dark Angel as Vance Pickett

1995

Four Rooms as Norman
Condition Red as Angel Delgado
The Addiction as Professor
Clockers as Jesus at Hambones

1994

Pulp Fiction as Paul
Hand Gun as Landwick
New York Undercover as Emilio Vasquez

1993

The Firm as Thomas Richie

1992

Bad Lieutenant as Cop #1
The Keys as Garcia
CrissCross as Blacky

1990

King of New York as Joey Dalesio
Q & A as Roger Montalvo
Law & Order as Father Torres
Law & Order as Rodriguez
Law & Order as Jesse Castillo
Law & Order as Defense Attorney Palmieri
Law & Order as Kenneth Silva

1989

1988

The Chair as Pizza

1987

1986

1985

Doubletake as Bitong
Tenement as Hector
The Equalizer as Rat Heart
The Equalizer as Chacon

1984

-

Prick as President