Paul Dooley

Paul Dooley, born Paul Brown on February 22, 1928, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is an American character actor whose career has spanned Broadway, film, and television. The son of Ruth Irene Barringer, a homemaker, and Pete James Brown, a factory worker, he grew up in a city he felt offered limited cultural opportunities. As a youth he drew a comic strip for a local newspaper and developed an early affinity for radio comedians, particularly Jimmy Durante. He performed at fairs during high school under the clown name Dooley, a persona he found significant enough that he legally changed his surname to match it in the mid-1950s, prompted in part by the existence of another Broadway actor already working under the name Paul Brown.

Dooley served in the United States Navy beginning in 1946 and completed two years of service before returning to West Virginia, where he earned a degree from West Virginia State University in 1952. Following graduation he relocated to New York City to pursue a career in entertainment, initially supporting himself by working as a clown at children's birthday parties. He appeared on Broadway between 1954 and 1965, with credits that include Threepenny Opera and The Odd Couple. His involvement with The Odd Couple came through director Mike Nichols, who cast him in the 1965 production. Dooley played Oscar's poker companion Homer "Speed" Deegan and also understudied Art Carney in the role of Felix Unger, eventually assuming that role after Carney's departure. Walter Matthau, who played Oscar Madison in the production, referred Dooley to the William Morris Agency, which went on to represent him.

Alongside his stage work, Dooley spent five years as a stand-up comedian and made an appearance on The Tonight Show. He was a member of both the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in New York City, where fellow members included Alan Arkin and Alan Alda. His interest in writing led him to a significant role in children's television: he co-created The Electric Company, produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS, and served as one of its head writers. He wrote short recurring sketch segments featuring multiple characters, among them Easy Reader, portrayed by Morgan Freeman, and Fargo North, Decoder, played by Skip Hinnant, as well as the soap opera parody Love of Chair. He later learned that Carl Reiner had recommended him for the position. Dooley also formed a production company called All Over Creation with Andrew Duncan and Lynne Lipton, through which the group produced approximately 500 television commercials and 1,000 radio spots.

His film career gained momentum after director Robert Altman saw him perform in the Jules Feiffer comedy Hold Me and subsequently cast him in A Wedding. Dooley and Altman later co-wrote the film Health. His screen credits include Breaking Away, Popeye, Sixteen Candles, Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure, Runaway Bride, and the director's cut of Little Shop of Horrors, from which he was replaced by Jim Belushi in the final release. He provided the voice of Sarge in the Disney/Pixar films Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3. Dooley collaborated repeatedly with director Christopher Guest on films including Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.

On television, Dooley appeared in recurring capacities on numerous series, including ER, My So-Called Life, thirtysomething, Dream On, Grace Under Fire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Chicago Hope, and ALF, where he played Whizzer Deaver. He portrayed the recurring character Enabran Tain on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and guest starred on shows including Bewitched, The Wonder Years, Desperate Housewives, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. In 2000 he received an Emmy Award nomination for his portrayal of an eccentric judge on The Practice. He starred in the short-lived series Coming of Age opposite Phyllis Newman, Glynis Johns, and Alan Young, and in 2010 appeared in the ABC Family series Huge, which was created and written by his wife and daughter. He appeared in a 2014 episode of Parenthood and a 2017 episode of The Good Doctor.

In theater, Dooley co-wrote the play Assisted Living with his wife, playwright Winnie Holzman, marking their first theatrical collaboration; the play premiered on April 5, 2013. Dooley and Holzman, who first met at an improv acting class in New York, married on November 18, 1984, and have a daughter named Savannah. They reside in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. Dooley was previously married to Donna Lee Wasser on September 19, 1958; that marriage ended in divorce and produced three children. In 2022, he published a memoir titled Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off.