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. In 2010, Dooley played the part of the head chef at Camp Victory, a fictional fat camp, on the short-lived ABC Family original series Huge.
Movie | Selfie Dad | Barber | 2020-06-19 |
Movie | The Great Buster: A Celebration | Self | 2018-10-05 |
Movie | Cars 3 | Sarge (voice) | 2017-06-15 |
Movie | Other People | Ronnie | 2016-09-09 |
Movie | The Radiator Springs 500½ | Sarge (voice) | 2014-05-20 |
Movie | Turbo | The Foreman (voice) | 2013-07-11 |
Movie | Spinning | Sarge (voice) | 2013-03-22 |
Movie | My Santa | Martin | 2013-11-29 |
Series | The Client List | Unknown | 2012-04-08 |
Movie | Cars 2 | Sarge (voice) | 2011-06-11 |
Series | Huge | 2010-06-28 | |
Movie | Horsemen | Father Whiteleather | 2009-02-06 |
Movie | Sunshine Cleaning | Sherm | 2008-01-18 |
Movie | Chronic Town | Eleanor's Father | 2008-04-03 |
Movie | Bedtime Stories | Hot Dog Vendor | 2008-12-24 |
Movie | Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary | Himself | 2007-05-20 |
Movie | Hairspray | Mr. Spritzer | 2007-07-19 |
Series | Side Order of Life | Unknown | 2007-07-15 |
Movie | Mater and the Ghostlight | Sarge (voice) | 2006-07-27 |
Movie | Cars | Sarge (voice) | 2006-06-08 |
Series | The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman | Unknown | 2006-08-04 |
Movie | For Your Consideration | Paper Badge Sergeant | 2006-11-17 |
Movie | Come Away Home | Grandpa Donald | 2005-01-20 |
Series | Hopeless Pictures | 2005-08-19 | |
Movie | Employee of the Month | Reverend Ben Goodwin | 2004-01-17 |
Movie | Nobody Knows Anything! | Warden | 2004-08-24 |
Series | Desperate Housewives | Unknown | 2004-10-03 |
Series | Boston Legal | Unknown | 2004-10-03 |
Movie | Touch 'Em All McCall | 2003-01-01 | |
Movie | A Mighty Wind | George Menschell | 2003-04-16 |
Movie | Comfort and Joy | George | 2003-12-01 |
Movie | The Perfect You | Larry | 2002-03-01 |
Movie | Insomnia | Chief Nyback | 2002-05-24 |
Movie | I'll Remember April | Earl Schimmel | 2001-04-05 |
Series | Scrubs | Unknown | 2001-10-02 |
Movie | A Woman's a Helluva Thing | Hank Luckinbill | 2001-06-13 |
Movie | Madison | Mayor Don Vaughn | 2001-01-23 |
Series | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Unknown | 2001-09-30 |
Movie | Rennie's Landing | Hank | 2001-06-15 |
Series | The Huntress | Unknown | 2000-07-26 |
Series | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Unknown | 2000-10-06 |
Movie | Error in Judgment | Jack Albert | 1999-05-08 |
Movie | Runaway Bride | Walter Carpenter | 1999-07-30 |
Series | Providence | Unknown | 1999-01-08 |
Movie | Happy, Texas | The Judge | 1999-12-03 |
Movie | Guinevere | Walter | 1999-09-12 |
Series | Once and Again | Unknown | 1999-09-21 |
Movie | Clockwatchers | Bud Chapman | 1997-06-12 |
Movie | Telling Lies in America | Father Norton | 1997-08-02 |
Series | The Practice | Unknown | 1997-03-04 |
Movie | Angels in the Endzone | Coach Buck | 1997-11-09 |
Movie | Loved | Leo Amerson | 1997-10-31 |
Series | Dharma & Greg | Unknown | 1997-09-24 |
Series | Ally McBeal | Unknown | 1997-09-08 |
Movie | Waiting for Guffman | UFO Abductee | 1996-08-21 |
Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-08-21 |
Series | Early Edition | Unknown | 1996-09-28 |
Series | Millennium | Unknown | 1996-10-25 |
Movie | Evolver | Jerry Briggs | 1995-02-10 |
Movie | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Senator Thatch | 1995-01-18 |
Movie | The Underneath | Ed Dutton | 1995-04-28 |
Movie | Out There | Emmett Davis | 1995-11-19 |
Series | Duckman | Unknown | 1994-03-05 |
Movie | State of Emergency | Jim Anderson | 1994-02-21 |
Series | Chicago Hope | Unknown | 1994-09-18 |
Series | ER | Unknown | 1994-09-19 |
Movie | Cooperstown | Sid Wiggins | 1993-01-26 |
Movie | My Boyfriend's Back | Big Chuck | 1993-08-06 |
Movie | Mother of the Bride | Richard | 1993-02-27 |
Movie | A Dangerous Woman | Tupperware Salesman | 1993-09-10 |
Series | Tales of the City | Herb Tolliver | 1993-09-28 |
Series | Grace Under Fire | Unknown | 1993-09-29 |
Movie | The Player | Paul Dooley | 1992-04-03 |
Series | Batman: The Animated Series | Father Michael Stromwell | 1992-09-05 |
Series | The Ben Stiller Show | Unknown | 1992-09-27 |
Series | Mad About You | Unknown | 1992-09-23 |
Movie | Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride | Asst. Dist. Atty. Robert Norrell | 1992-10-30 |
Movie | White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd | Hal Roach | 1991-05-05 |
Movie | Frogs! | Twittenham | 1991-01-01 |
Movie | Shakes the Clown | Owen Cheese | 1991-08-28 |
Movie | Flashback | Stark | 1990-02-02 |
Movie | The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson | 1990-10-15 | |
Movie | Guess Who's Coming for Christmas? | Doc | 1990-12-23 |
Movie | Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North | Robert McFarlane | 1989-04-30 |
Series | Tales from the Crypt | Unknown | 1989-06-10 |
Series | The Wonder Years | Unknown | 1988-01-31 |
Series | The Murder of Mary Phagan | William Burns | 1988-01-24 |
Movie | Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel | John Buxton | 1988-02-29 |
Movie | Lip Service | Gil Hutchinson | 1988-10-17 |
Series | Coming of Age | 1988-03-15 | |
Movie | Last Rites | Father Freddie | 1988-11-18 |
Movie | O.C. and Stiggs | Randall Schwab | 1987-07-10 |
Series | thirtysomething | Unknown | 1987-09-29 |
Movie | Big Trouble | George Noozel | 1986-05-30 |
Series | L.A. Law | Unknown | 1986-09-15 |
Movie | Monster in the Closet | Roy Crane | 1986-05-15 |
Series | ALF | Whizzer | 1986-09-22 |
Movie | Little Shop of Horrors | Patrick Martin | 1986-12-19 |
Movie | The Steel Collar Man | Don Liddle | 1985-08-07 |
Series | The Golden Girls | Unknown | 1985-09-14 |
Movie | Stephen King's Golden Tales | Chester Caruso | 1985-10-19 |
Movie | Sixteen Candles | Jim Baker | 1984-05-04 |
Movie | Going Berserk | Dr. Ted | 1983-09-30 |
Movie | Strange Brew | Claude Elsinore | 1983-08-26 |
Movie | Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Museum Security Guard | 1983-11-16 |
Movie | Endangered Species | Joe Hiatt | 1982-09-10 |
Movie | The Shady Hill Kidnapping | Detective | 1982-01-12 |
Movie | Kiss Me Goodbye | Kendall | 1982-12-22 |
Series | Faerie Tale Theatre | Unknown | 1982-09-11 |
Movie | Paternity | Kurt | 1981-10-02 |
Movie | See China and Die | Ames Prescott | 1981-12-09 |
Movie | HealtH | Dr. Gil Gainey | 1980-09-12 |
Movie | Popeye | Wimpy | 1980-12-12 |
Movie | A Perfect Couple | Alex Theodopoulos | 1979-04-06 |
Movie | Rich Kids | Simon Peterfreund | 1979-08-17 |
Movie | Breaking Away | Ray Stoller | 1979-05-24 |
Movie | A Wedding | Snooks Brenner | 1978-08-29 |
Movie | Slap Shot | Hyannisport Announcer | 1977-02-25 |
Movie | Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure | Gazooks (voice) | 1977-04-01 |
Movie | Fore Play | Salesman | 1975-03-01 |
Movie | The Dion Brothers | Doctor | 1974-06-16 |
Movie | Death Wish | Cop at Hospital (uncredited) | 1974-07-24 |
Movie | Up the Sandbox | Statue of Liberty Guard | 1972-12-21 |
Movie | The Out-of-Towners | Day Desk Clerk at Hotel | 1970-05-28 |
Movie | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Vic | 1968-05-24 |
Movie | Man in the Square Suit | 1966-04-15 | |
Series | Get Smart | Unknown | 1965-09-18 |
Series | Bewitched | Unknown | 1964-09-17 |
Movie | The Parisienne and the Prudes | Ted K. Worrie | 1964-04-29 |
Series | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Unknown | 1951-12-24 |
Series | The Ed Sullivan Show | Unknown | 1948-06-20 |