Paul Calderon
Acting • Born 1952-01-25
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
90 credits
Four Rooms
Movie • 1995
Norman
The Last Castle
Movie • 2001
Dellwo
Pulp Fiction
Movie • 1994
Paul
Montana
Movie • 1998
Boulez
Bad Lieutenant
Movie • 1992
Cop #1
Sea of Love
Movie • 1989
Serafino
King of New York
Movie • 1990
Joey Dalesio
Kill the Poor
Movie • 2003
Carlos DeJesus
Sweet Nothing
Movie • 1995
Ray
La Soga
Movie • 2009
Rafa
Pistol Whipped
Movie • 2008
Blue
Girlfight
Movie • 2000
Sandro Guzman
Burning Daylight
Movie • 2010
Hughie Luke
Welcome to New York
Movie • 2014
Pierre
Q & A
Movie • 1990
Roger Montalvo
Bait
Movie • 2000
Cop (uncredited)
Doubletake
Movie • 1985
Bitong
The Sentinel
Movie • 2006
Deputy Director Cortes
Gun
Movie • 2010
Detective Jenkins
The Keys
Movie • 1992
Garcia
Community Plot
Movie • 1984
Tenement
Movie • 1985
Hector
Oxygen
Movie • 1999
Jesse
Condition Red
Movie • 1995
Angel Delgado
The Hungry Ghosts
Movie • 2009
Carl
One Tough Cop
Movie • 1998
Sgt. Diaz
Staging Anna
Movie • 2024
Director
Dark Angel
Movie • 1996
Vance Pickett
21 Grams
Movie • 2003
Brown
The Addiction
Movie • 1995
Professor
3 A.M.
Movie • 2001
Ralph
Hand Gun
Movie • 1994
Landwick
Band of the Hand
Movie • 1986
Tito
The Strike
Movie • 2016
Walt Whitman
Cop Land
Movie • 1997
Hector - Medic
The Chair
Movie • 1988
Pizza
Clockers
Movie • 1995
Jesus at Hambones
Out of Sight
Movie • 1998
Raymond Cruz
Biodegradable
Movie • 2013
Profesor Lopez
The Firm
Movie • 1993
Thomas Richie
Bolaetrapo
Movie • 2013
Cuenta
CrissCross
Movie • 1992
Blacky
All Revved Up
Movie • 1998
Carl
Penn & Teller Get Killed
Movie • 1989
Juan
Down This Road
Movie • 2010
Father
Once in the Life
Movie • 2000
Manny Rivera
West End
Movie • 2014
Robert Mackey
The Atlantis Conspiracy
Movie • 2001
Guy
A Kiss of Chaos
Movie • 2009
Oscar Perez
Sticky Fingers
Movie • 1988
Speed
Prick
Movie
President
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Movie • 2021
Self (archive footage)
The Old Man and the Sea
Movie • 1990
Anderez
Lotto Land
Movie • 1995
Reinaldo
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Eric Molina
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
TV • 2005
Detective
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Father Torres
Blue Bloods
TV • 2010
Lieutenant Perez
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Marcus Feingold
Justified: City Primeval
TV • 2023
Raymond Cruz
Blindspot
TV • 2015
Drill Instructor
The Blacklist
TV • 2013
Manuel Esteban
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Rodriguez
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Jesse Castillo
Lie to Me
TV • 2009
Manny Trillo
This Is Us
TV • 2016
Older Risto Rivas
New York Undercover
TV • 1994
Emilio Vasquez
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Defense Attorney Palmieri
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Jojo Rios
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Kenneth Silva
East New York
TV • 2022
Father Frank Suarez
Fear the Walking Dead
TV • 2015
Alejandro Núñez
Elementary
TV • 2012
Zuniga
The Equalizer
TV • 1985
Rat Heart
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Nicky
Bosch
TV • 2015
Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
The Black Donnellys
TV • 2007
Detective at Prison
Dellaventura
TV • 1997
Detective Rosario
The Equalizer
TV • 1985
Chacon
The Education of Max Bickford
TV • 2001
Danny Martinez
Third Watch
TV • 1999
Bobby's father
Bosch: Legacy
TV • 2022
Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Don Gallego
FBI
TV • 2018
Fernando Perez
Madam Secretary
TV • 2014
Foreign Minister Albert Rojas
Ironheart
TV • 2025
CEO of Artworks
Ironheart
TV • 2025
Arthur Robbins
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Gabriel
The Hat Squad
TV • 1992
Miguel Cortez
Boardwalk Empire
TV • 2010
Arquimedes