CINEFILER

Paul Dooley

Born
February 22, 1928
Paul Dooley was born Paul Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene (née Barringer), a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a keen cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at college. He is married to writer Winnie Holzman, with whom he has one daughter, Savannah Dooley (born 1985). Moving to New York, he soon found success as a regular on the stage. Also having an interest in comedy, Dooley was a standup comedian for five years, and a member of the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in NYC, as well as having brief stints as a magician and as a clown. Not afraid of trying different areas of entertainment, he also worked as a writer. He was one of the writers on The Electric Company and appeared in commercials. Besides appearing in many movies, including most notably Popeye, Sixteen Candles, and Breaking Away, Dooley has also appeared as a variety of recurrent characters on numerous television shows, including My So-Called Life, Dream On, Grace Under Fire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, ALF (playing Whizzer Deaver) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where he played the recurring role of Enabran Tain. He guest starred in other prime time shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Golden Girls, and Desperate Housewives. In 2000, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as an eccentric judge on The Practice. He was also in the infamous alternate ending to Little Shop of Horrors, but was replaced by Jim Belushi in the final cut.
Known For
Cars 3
(2017)
Sarge (voice)
Cars 2
(2011)
Sarge (voice)
Cars
(2006)
Sarge (voice)
Turbo
(2013)
The Foreman (voice)
Insomnia
(2002)
Chief Nyback
Sixteen Candles
(1984)
Jim Baker
Death Wish
(1974)
Cop at Hospital (uncredited)
Runaway Bride
(1999)
Walter Carpenter
Bedtime Stories
(2008)
Hot Dog Vendor
Hairspray
(2007)
Mr. Spritzer
Popeye
(1980)
Wimpy
The Player
(1992)
Paul Dooley
Employee of the Month
(2004)
Reverend Ben Goodwin
Horsemen
(2009)
Father Whiteleather
Sunshine Cleaning
(2008)
Sherm
Mater and the Ghostlight
(2006)
Sarge (voice)
Full Filmography
Acting
The Parisienne and the Prudes
(1964)
Ted K. Worrie
Man in the Square Suit
(1966)
What's So Bad About Feeling Good?
(1968)
Vic
The Out-of-Towners
(1970)
Day Desk Clerk at Hotel
Up the Sandbox
(1972)
Statue of Liberty Guard
Death Wish
(1974)
Cop at Hospital (uncredited)
The Dion Brothers
(1974)
Doctor
Fore Play
(1975)
Salesman
Simple Gifts
(1977)
(segment "Lost & Found") (voice)
Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure
(1977)
Gazooks (voice)
Slap Shot
(1977)
Hyannisport Announcer
A Wedding
(1978)
Snooks Brenner
Breaking Away
(1979)
Ray Stoller
Rich Kids
(1979)
Simon Peterfreund
A Perfect Couple
(1979)
Alex Theodopoulos
HealtH
(1980)
Dr. Gil Gainey
Popeye
(1980)
Wimpy
See China and Die
(1981)
Ames Prescott
Paternity
(1981)
Kurt
Rumpelstiltskin
(1982)
The Miller
The Shady Hill Kidnapping
(1982)
Detective
Endangered Species
(1982)
Joe Hiatt
Kiss Me Goodbye
(1982)
Kendall
Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(1983)
Museum Security Guard
Hansel and Gretel
(1983)
Father
Strange Brew
(1983)
Claude Elsinore
Going Berserk
(1983)
Dr. Ted
Sixteen Candles
(1984)
Jim Baker
The Steel Collar Man
(1985)
Don Liddle
Stephen King's Golden Tales
(1985)
Chester Caruso
Monster in the Closet
(1986)
Roy Crane
Big Trouble
(1986)
George Noozel
O.C. and Stiggs
(1987)
Randall Schwab
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel
(1988)
John Buxton
Last Rites
(1988)
Father Freddie
Lip Service
(1988)
Gil Hutchinson
When He's Not a Stranger
(1989)
Ben McKenna
Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North
(1989)
Robert McFarlane
Guess Who's Coming for Christmas?
(1990)
Doc
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
(1990)
Flashback
(1990)
Stark
White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd
(1991)
Hal Roach
Frogs!
(1991)
Twittenham
Shakes the Clown
(1991)
Owen Cheese
Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride
(1992)
Asst. Dist. Atty. Robert Norrell
The Player
(1992)
Paul Dooley
A Dangerous Woman
(1993)
Tupperware Salesman
Mother of the Bride
(1993)
Richard
Cooperstown
(1993)
Sid Wiggins
My Boyfriend's Back
(1993)
Big Chuck
State of Emergency
(1994)
Jim Anderson
Evolver
(1995)
Jerry Briggs
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
(1995)
Senator Thatch
The Underneath
(1995)
Ed Dutton
Out There
(1995)
Emmett Davis
God's Lonely Man
(1996)
Polo
Waiting for Guffman
(1996)
UFO Abductee
Loved
(1997)
Leo Amerson
Clockwatchers
(1997)
Bud Chapman
Angels in the Endzone
(1997)
Coach Buck
Telling Lies in America
(1997)
Father Norton
Error in Judgment
(1999)
Jack Albert
Guinevere
(1999)
Walter
Runaway Bride
(1999)
Walter Carpenter
Happy, Texas
(1999)
The Judge
Madison
(2001)
Mayor Don Vaughn
A Woman's a Helluva Thing
(2001)
Hank Luckinbill
Rennie's Landing
(2001)
Hank
I'll Remember April
(2001)
Earl Schimmel
The Perfect You
(2002)
Larry
Insomnia
(2002)
Chief Nyback
Comfort and Joy
(2003)
George
A Mighty Wind
(2003)
George Menschell
Touch 'Em All McCall
(2003)
Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales
(2003)
Employee of the Month
(2004)
Reverend Ben Goodwin
Nobody Knows Anything!
(2004)
Warden
Come Away Home
(2005)
Grandpa Donald
For Your Consideration
(2006)
Paper Badge Sergeant
Mater and the Ghostlight
(2006)
Sarge (voice)
Cars
(2006)
Sarge (voice)
Hairspray
(2007)
Mr. Spritzer
Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary
(2007)
Himself
Sunshine Cleaning
(2008)
Sherm
Celebrating Sixteen Candles
(2008)
Himself
Chronic Town
(2008)
Eleanor's Father
Bedtime Stories
(2008)
Hot Dog Vendor
Horsemen
(2009)
Father Whiteleather
Cars 2
(2011)
Sarge (voice)
Thanks
(2011)
Hank
My Santa
(2013)
Martin
Turbo
(2013)
The Foreman (voice)
Spinning
(2013)
Sarge (voice)
Hiccups
(2013)
Sarge (voice)
The Radiator Springs 500½
(2014)
Sarge (voice)
Other People
(2016)
Ronnie
The Holy Man
(2016)
Lou 'The Bull' Devine
Cars 3
(2017)
Sarge (voice)
The Great Buster: A Celebration
(2018)
Self
The Gesture and The Word
(2020)
Mr. Rostalle
Selfie Dad
(2020)
Barber
Saving Paradise
(2021)
Gramps
Boy Makes Girl
(2023)
Ben
The Water is Finally Blue: The Untold Story of Robert Altman's O.C. and Stiggs
(2023)
Writing
Data provided by TMDB