Paul Calderon
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
Credits
- 2025 · Ironheart as
- 2023 · Justified: City Primeval as Raymond Cruz
- 2022 · East New York as Father Frank Suarez
- 2021 · Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
- 2016 · This Is Us as Older Risto Rivas
- 2016 · The Strike as Walt Whitman
- 2015 · Blindspot as Drill Instructor
- 2015 · Fear the Walking Dead as Alejandro Núñez
- 2015 · Bosch as Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
- 2014 · West End as Robert Mackey
- 2014 · Welcome to New York as Pierre
- 2014 · Gun as Detective Jenkins
- 2013 · Biodegradable as Profesor Lopez
- 2013 · Bolaetrapo as Cuenta
- 2013 · The Blacklist as Manuel Esteban
- 2012 · Elementary as Zuniga
- 2010 · Burning Daylight as Hughie Luke
- 2010 · Blue Bloods as Lieutenant Perez
- 2010 · Down This Road as Father
- 2009 · La Soga as
- 2009 · A Kiss of Chaos as Oscar Perez
- 2009 · The Hungry Ghosts as Carl
- 2009 · Lie to Me as Manny Trillo
- 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
- 2003 · Kill the Poor as Carlos DeJesus
- 2001 · The Last Castle as Dellwo
- 2001 · Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Marcus Feingold
- 2001 · Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Jojo Rios
- 2001 · The Education of Max Bickford as Danny Martinez
- 2001 · 3 A.M. as Ralph
- 2001 · The Atlantis Conspiracy as Guy
- 2000 · Once in the Life as Manny Rivera
- 2000 · Girlfight as Sandro Guzman
- 2000 · Bait as Cop (uncredited)
- 1999 · Oxygen as Jesse
- 1999 · Third Watch as Bobby's father
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Eric Molina
- 1998 · One Tough Cop as Sgt. Diaz
- 1998 · Out of Sight as Raymond Cruz
- 1998 · All Revved Up as Carl
- 1998 · Montana as Boulez
- 1997 · Dellaventura as Detective Rosario
- 1997 · Cop Land as Hector - Medic
- 1996 · Dark Angel as Vance Pickett
- 1995 · Four Rooms as Norman
- 1995 · Condition Red as Angel Delgado
- 1995 · The Addiction as Professor
- 1995 · Clockers as Jesus at Hambones
- 1995 · Sweet Nothing as Ray
- 1994 · Hand Gun as Landwick
- 1994 · Pulp Fiction as Paul
- 1994 · New York Undercover as Emilio Vasquez
- 1993 · The Firm as Thomas Richie
- 1992 · Bad Lieutenant as Cop #1
- 1992 · CrissCross as Blacky
- 1992 · The Keys as Garcia
- 1990 · Law & Order as Father Torres
- 1990 · Law & Order as Rodriguez
- 1990 · Law & Order as Jesse Castillo
- 1990 · Law & Order as Defense Attorney Palmieri
- 1990 · Law & Order as Kenneth Silva
- 1990 · King of New York as Joey Dalesio
- 1990 · Q & A as Roger Montalvo
- 1989 · Penn & Teller Get Killed as Juan
- 1989 · Sea of Love as Serafino
- 1988 · The Chair as Pizza
- 1988 · Sticky Fingers as Speed
- 1987 · Bad as Dealer
- 1986 · Band of the Hand as Tito
- 1985 · Doubletake as Bitong
- 1985 · Tenement as Hector
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Rat Heart
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Chacon
- Future · Last Five Minutes as President
- 1984 · Community Plot as
- 1984 · Miami Vice as Nicky
- Future · Staging Anna as Director