Paul Rodriguez(I)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Friendly as all get-out, Latino stand-up comic Paul Rodriguez was born
in Mexico but raised in East Los Angeles. After finishing his military
service, he went to college on the GI bill with the idea of becoming an
attorney, but developed an interest in comedy while taking elective
courses.
Paul honed his stand-up act at L.A.'s famous The Comedy Store while working as a doorman there, and got his break as an opening act for others at various concerts and universities and as a warm-up comic onNorman Lear's short-lived sitcomGloria (1982)starringSally Struthers.
Lear was so impressed that he wrote and developed a sitcom specifically for Paul entitleda.k.a. Pablo (1984),which caught the public's eye only briefly. Other comedy series followed, however, includingTrial and Error (1988)andGrand Slam (1990), and a few movies also came his way withD.C. Cab (1983)andBorn in East L.A. (1987).Sticking to his Latino roots as the basis for his comedy, he has made an appealing crossover hit.
The comedian broke through the talk show venue with "El Show de Paul Rodriguez", which had a four-year run, and branched out into directing with the filmA Million to Juan (1994),which he also co-wrote and starred in. More recently, he appeared withPaul HoganinCrocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)and had an atypical role in directorClint Eastwood'sBlood Work (2002)as an arrogant, smarmy police detective. More recently, he has been visible (good or bad) in A Cinderella Story (2004),The World's Fastest Indian (2005)andCloud 9 (2006).
He also executive-produced and starred in the comedy concert film The Original Latin Kings of Comedy (2002).He has been seen everywhere on cable comedy showcases, includingPaul Rodriguez: Behind Bars (1991),Crossing White Lines (1999),Paul Rodriguez Live!: I Need the Couch (1987),Paul Rodriguez: Live in San Quentin (1995),Paul Rodriguez & Friends: Comedy Rehab (2009)andPaul Rodriguez: The Here & Wow (2018)., all of which solidified his reputation as one of the country's best known Hispanic comics in the U.S.
Other millennium film credits include a wide variety of roles, including those inTortilla Soup (2001),Ali (2001),Time Changer (2002),How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass (2003),Back by Midnight (2004),Lonely Street (2008),I'm Not Like That No More (2010),Ambushed (2014),Pray for Rain (2017),Cholo Zombies (2024).He also provided voices for the animated featuresBeverly Hills Chihuahua (2008),Porndogs: The Adventures of Sadie (2009)andCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010).On TV, he was a regular on the Spanish-speaking comedyComponiendo a Paco (2012)and played the title role in the English-speaking sitcomFixing Paco (2012).
Paul has been recognized for his tireless charity work, which includes strong, avid support for the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Farm Aid, Leukemia Telethon, Project Literacy, and Housing Now, among many others.
Paul honed his stand-up act at L.A.'s famous The Comedy Store while working as a doorman there, and got his break as an opening act for others at various concerts and universities and as a warm-up comic onNorman Lear's short-lived sitcomGloria (1982)starringSally Struthers.
Lear was so impressed that he wrote and developed a sitcom specifically for Paul entitleda.k.a. Pablo (1984),which caught the public's eye only briefly. Other comedy series followed, however, includingTrial and Error (1988)andGrand Slam (1990), and a few movies also came his way withD.C. Cab (1983)andBorn in East L.A. (1987).Sticking to his Latino roots as the basis for his comedy, he has made an appealing crossover hit.
The comedian broke through the talk show venue with "El Show de Paul Rodriguez", which had a four-year run, and branched out into directing with the filmA Million to Juan (1994),which he also co-wrote and starred in. More recently, he appeared withPaul HoganinCrocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)and had an atypical role in directorClint Eastwood'sBlood Work (2002)as an arrogant, smarmy police detective. More recently, he has been visible (good or bad) in A Cinderella Story (2004),The World's Fastest Indian (2005)andCloud 9 (2006).
He also executive-produced and starred in the comedy concert film The Original Latin Kings of Comedy (2002).He has been seen everywhere on cable comedy showcases, includingPaul Rodriguez: Behind Bars (1991),Crossing White Lines (1999),Paul Rodriguez Live!: I Need the Couch (1987),Paul Rodriguez: Live in San Quentin (1995),Paul Rodriguez & Friends: Comedy Rehab (2009)andPaul Rodriguez: The Here & Wow (2018)., all of which solidified his reputation as one of the country's best known Hispanic comics in the U.S.
Other millennium film credits include a wide variety of roles, including those inTortilla Soup (2001),Ali (2001),Time Changer (2002),How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass (2003),Back by Midnight (2004),Lonely Street (2008),I'm Not Like That No More (2010),Ambushed (2014),Pray for Rain (2017),Cholo Zombies (2024).He also provided voices for the animated featuresBeverly Hills Chihuahua (2008),Porndogs: The Adventures of Sadie (2009)andCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010).On TV, he was a regular on the Spanish-speaking comedyComponiendo a Paco (2012)and played the title role in the English-speaking sitcomFixing Paco (2012).
Paul has been recognized for his tireless charity work, which includes strong, avid support for the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Farm Aid, Leukemia Telethon, Project Literacy, and Housing Now, among many others.
