Paul Dooley
Paul Dooley (born Paul Brown; February 22, 1928) is an American character actor, writer, and comedian. He is known for his roles in Breaking Away, Popeye, Sixteen Candles, Strange Brew and many Christopher Guest mockumentaries. He co-created the PBS show The Electric Company.
For the Australian rules footballer, see Paul Dooley (footballer).
Paul Dooley
- Actor
- writer
- comedian
1954-present
- Donna Lee Wasser (m. 1958–?; divorced)
4, including Savannah Dooley
Early life[edit]
Dooley was born Paul Brown on February 22, 1928, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene (née Barringer), a homemaker, and Pete James Brown, a factory worker.[1]
He has said that Parkersburg had few attractions that interested him, as there were not many cultural opportunities. He enjoyed listening to comedians on the radio, especially Jimmy Durante.[2]
Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. In 1946, he joined the United States Navy and served for two years before returning home and graduating from West Virginia University in 1952.[3]
Personal life[edit]
Dooley has been married to Winnie Holzman,[10] whom he first met at an improv acting class in New York,[11] since November 18, 1984.[5] The couple have a daughter Savannah[2] and live in Toluca Lake in Los Angeles.[11]
He was previously married to Donna Lee Wasser on September 19, 1958, which ended in divorce.[10] He has three children from his first marriage.[12][10]
In 2022, he published his memoir, titled Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off.[10][13]