Cape Fear
2026 · TV Show
as The Padrino
Paul Calderon
1952-01-25
•
Puerto Rico
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
Prick
2025 · Movie
as President
Ironheart
2025 · TV Show
as CEO of Artworks, Arthur Robbins
Staging Anna
2024 · Movie
as Director
Justified: City Primeval
2023 · TV Show
as Raymond Cruz
East New York
2022 · TV Show
as Father Frank Suarez
Bosch: Legacy
2022 · TV Show
as Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
No image
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
2021 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
FBI
2018 · TV Show
as Fernando Perez
The Strike
2016 · Movie
as Walt Whitman
This Is Us
2016 · TV Show
as Older Risto Rivas
Blindspot
2015 · TV Show
as Drill Instructor
Fear the Walking Dead
2015 · TV Show
as Alejandro Núñez
Bosch
2015 · TV Show
as Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
Welcome to New York
2014 · Movie
as Pierre
No image
West End
2014 · Movie
as Robert Mackey
Madam Secretary
2014 · TV Show
as Foreign Minister Albert Rojas
Biodegradable
2013 · Movie
as Profesor Lopez
Bolaetrapo
2013 · Movie
as Cuenta
The Blacklist
2013 · TV Show
as Manuel Esteban
Why Stop Now?
2012 · Movie
as Eduardo
Elementary
2012 · TV Show
as Zuniga
Burning Daylight
2010 · Movie
as Hughie Luke
Gun
2010 · Movie
as Detective Jenkins
Down This Road
2010 · Movie
as Father
Blue Bloods
2010 · TV Show
as Lieutenant Perez
Boardwalk Empire
2010 · TV Show
as Arquimedes
La Soga
2009 · Movie
as Rafa
The Hungry Ghosts
2009 · Movie
as Carl
A Kiss of Chaos
2009 · Movie
as Oscar Perez
Lie to Me
2009 · TV Show
as Manny Trillo
Pistol Whipped
2008 · Movie
as Blue
The Black Donnellys
2007 · TV Show
as Detective at Prison
The Sentinel
2006 · Movie
as Deputy Director Cortes
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
2005 · TV Show
as Detective
Kill the Poor
2003 · Movie
as Carlos DeJesus
21 Grams
2003 · Movie
as Brown
The Last Castle
2001 · Movie
as Dellwo
3 A.M.
2001 · Movie
as Ralph
The Atlantis Conspiracy
2001 · Movie
as Guy
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001 · TV Show
as Marcus Feingold, Jojo Rios
The Education of Max Bickford
2001 · TV Show
as Danny Martinez
Girlfight
2000 · Movie
as Sandro Guzman
Bait
2000 · Movie
as Cop (uncredited)
Once in the Life
2000 · Movie
as Manny Rivera
Oxygen
1999 · Movie
as Jesse
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · TV Show
as Eric Molina
Third Watch
1999 · TV Show
as Bobby's father
Montana
1998 · Movie
as Boulez
One Tough Cop
1998 · Movie
as Sgt. Diaz
Out of Sight
1998 · Movie
as Raymond Cruz
All Revved Up
1998 · Movie
as Carl
Cop Land
1997 · Movie
as Hector - Medic
Dellaventura
1997 · TV Show
as Detective Rosario
Dark Angel
1996 · Movie
as Vance Pickett
Four Rooms
1995 · Movie
as Norman
Sweet Nothing
1995 · Movie
as Ray
Condition Red
1995 · Movie
as Angel Delgado
The Addiction
1995 · Movie
as Professor
Clockers
1995 · Movie
as Jesus at Hambones
Lotto Land
1995 · Movie
as Reinaldo
Pulp Fiction
1994 · Movie
as Paul
Hand Gun
1994 · Movie
as Landwick
New York Undercover
1994 · TV Show
as Emilio Vasquez
The Firm
1993 · Movie
as Thomas Richie
Bad Lieutenant
1992 · Movie
as Cop #1
The Keys
1992 · Movie
as Garcia
CrissCross
1992 · Movie
as Blacky
The Hat Squad
1992 · TV Show
as Miguel Cortez
King of New York
1990 · Movie
as Joey Dalesio
Q & A
1990 · Movie
as Roger Montalvo
The Old Man and the Sea
1990 · Movie
as Anderez
Law & Order
1990 · TV Show
as Father Torres, Rodriguez, Jesse Castillo, Defense Attorney Palmieri, Kenneth Silva
Sea of Love
1989 · Movie
as Serafino
Penn & Teller Get Killed
1989 · Movie
as Juan
The Chair
1988 · Movie
as Pizza
Sticky Fingers
1988 · Movie
as Speed
Band of the Hand
1986 · Movie
as Tito
Doubletake
1985 · Movie
as Bitong
Tenement
1985 · Movie
as Hector
The Equalizer
1985 · TV Show
as Rat Heart, Chacon
Community Plot
1984 · Movie
Miami Vice
1984 · TV Show
as Nicky, Don Gallego, Gabriel
