Paul Calderon
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Eric Molina
1999
Series
Law & Order
Father Torres
1990
Series
Law & Order
Rodriguez
1990
Series
Law & Order
Jesse Castillo
1990
Series
Law & Order
Defense Attorney Palmieri
1990
Series
Law & Order
Kenneth Silva
1990
Series
The Blacklist
Manuel Esteban
2013
Series
FBI
Fernando Perez
2018
Series
Blue Bloods
Lieutenant Perez
2010
Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Marcus Feingold
2001
Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Jojo Rios
2001
Series
Elementary
Zuniga
2012
Series
Cape Fear
The Padrino
2026
Series
Bosch
Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
2015
Series
This Is Us
Older Risto Rivas
2016
Film
Pulp Fiction
Paul
1994
Series
Blindspot
Drill Instructor
2015
Series
Miami Vice
Nicky
1984
Series
Miami Vice
Don Gallego
1984
Series
Miami Vice
Gabriel
1984
Series
Fear the Walking Dead
Alejandro Núñez
2015
Series
Boardwalk Empire
Arquimedes
2010
Series
Madam Secretary
Foreign Minister Albert Rojas
2014
Series
Third Watch
Bobby's father
1999
Series
Lie to Me
Manny Trillo
2009
Series
The Equalizer
Rat Heart
1985
Series
The Equalizer
Chacon
1985
Series
New York Undercover
Emilio Vasquez
1994
Series
Bosch: Legacy
Det. Santiago 'Jimmy' Robertson
2022
Series
Ironheart
CEO of Artworks
2025
Series
Ironheart
Arthur Robbins
2025
Film
The Firm
Thomas Richie
1993
Series
East New York
Father Frank Suarez
2022
Series
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Detective
2005
Series
Justified: City Primeval
Raymond Cruz
2023
Film
The Sentinel
Deputy Director Cortes
2006
Film
The Last Castle
Dellwo
2001
Film
Sea of Love
Serafino
1989
Film
Out of Sight
Raymond Cruz
1998
Film
Cop Land
Hector - Medic
1997
Film
Four Rooms
Norman
1995
Film
King of New York
Joey Dalesio
1990
Series
The Black Donnellys
Detective at Prison
2007
Film
21 Grams
Brown
2003
Film
Bad Lieutenant
Cop #1
1992
Series
The Education of Max Bickford
Danny Martinez
2001
Film
Bait
Cop (uncredited)
2000
Series
The Hat Squad
Miguel Cortez
1992
Film
Clockers
Jesus at Hambones
1995
Film
The Addiction
Professor
1995
Film
Pistol Whipped
Blue
2008
Series
Dellaventura
Detective Rosario
1997
Film
Q & A
Roger Montalvo
1990
Film
All Revved Up
Carl
1998
Film
Montana
Boulez
1998
Film
Gun
Detective Jenkins
2010
Film
Band of the Hand
Tito
1986
Film
Dark Angel
Vance Pickett
1996
Film
Sweet Nothing
Ray
1995
Film
Hand Gun
Landwick
1994
Film
Oxygen
Jesse
1999
Film
Girlfight
Sandro Guzman
2000
Film
CrissCross
Blacky
1992
Film
Welcome to New York
Pierre
2014
Film
Why Stop Now?
Eduardo
2012
Film
Lotto Land
Reinaldo
1995
Film
3 A.M.
Ralph
2001
Film
Penn & Teller Get Killed
Juan
1989
Film
One Tough Cop
Sgt. Diaz
1998
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Kill the Poor
Carlos DeJesus
2003
Film
Once in the Life
Manny Rivera
2000
Film
Burning Daylight
Hughie Luke
2010
Film
The Old Man and the Sea
Anderez
1990
Film
A Kiss of Chaos
Oscar Perez
2009
Film
Biodegradable
Profesor Lopez
2013
Film
Doubletake
Bitong
1985
Film
Prick
President
2025
Film
Sticky Fingers
Speed
1988
Film
Tenement
Hector
1985
Film
The Chair
Pizza
1988
Film
Community Plot
1984
Film
Condition Red
Angel Delgado
1995
Film
The Hungry Ghosts
Carl
2009
Film
La Soga
Rafa
2009
Film
The Atlantis Conspiracy
Guy
2001
Film
The Keys
Garcia
1992
West End
Robert Mackey
2014
Film
Down This Road
Father
2010
Film
The Strike
Walt Whitman
2016
Film
Staging Anna
Director
2024
Film
Bolaetrapo
Cuenta
2013