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Paul Warren (born 28 October 1974) is a British actor. He is best known for playing characters wearing heavy prosthetic makeup and/or creature suits, most notably in Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in films and television series such as Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Andor (2022), and The Marvels (2023).[1]
Paul Warren | |
|---|---|
 Warren at The Camden Film Fair 2019 | |
| Born | 28 October 1974 Hillingdon, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Website | paulwarren |
Warren also had creature acting roles in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), Clash of the Titans (2010), World War Z (2013), Ghost Stories (2017), Willow (2022) and Unwelcome (2023).[2]
Early life
editPaul Warren was born in Hillingdon, West London.[3]
Career
editHe began his film career in 2006 as a body double for Daniel Radcliffe on the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): "I spent much of my time 20ft up in the air on the hydraulic broomstick system and doing other physically demanding activities during the shoot, whilst building a good rapport with the cast/crew and a reputation as a versatile performer".[4]
Later that same year, he was recommended to Stan Winston Studio as a good choice to portray an emaciated version of the title character (played by Mike Vogel) in The Deaths of Ian Stone. Crediting Winston and his team, he said, "This door opening into the world of acting under silicone and foam latex, is what ultimately led to a film career playing characters in heavy prosthetics and creature suits".[4]
His first creature performing role was in 2009, where he played a tortured soul who pulls the boat across the River Styx in the remake of Clash of the Titans.
In 2010, Warren was used as a visual effect double for skinny Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger.[4] He was the original template for Skinny Steve in the pre-production VFX head replacement tests and was on set for the recruitment scene as a visual reference. Body double duties for the rest of production (which total about 5% according to director Joe Johnston[5]) were performed by stage actor Leander Deeny.
On getting the role of Varmik, one of the Hassk triplet's in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he says, "It felt very surreal. I wasn't told what it was that I was being asked to go in for; only that the production was putting together a team of core creature performers for a film at Pinewood Studios. I had been recommended to them by creature designer and makeup artist Martin Rezard, who I had worked with previously on Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: The Dark World."[6]
Varmik is of particular interest to Star Wars fans due to his origin: "The character is based on 2 classic pieces of Ralph McQuarrie's Star Wars production art from 1975. The cantina showdown and early Chewbacca designs. The former is a particular favorite of J. J. Abrams' that he wanted to bring to life on screen."[7]
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Warren plays a dowager alien called Gatha Elbaphay in the Canto Bight casino.[8] The character created quite a buzz online when it was revealed by director Rian Johnson that the animatronic space pug Awgree she holds was based on Carrie Fisher's very own pet pooch Gary, affectionately known on set as Space Gary.[9]
Warren is credited as Quadpaw performer in the Star Wars television series Andor. He was also a Troll in episode 6, season 1 of the TV series Willow. Both were produced by Lucasfilm.[10]
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Warren joined the cast and crew of the killer goblin film Unwelcome. As well as playing the Redcap goblin Mr. Sniff, he also took on a new role of Creature Movement Coach for Nick Chopping's stunt team.[11]
2023 saw Paul working once again with Neal Scanlan's creature workshop on the much anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. He played the role of Shrinker Tom and was a puppeteer in the waiting room performing the hand for the man in a box.[12]
Occasionally he still steps out from behind the prosthetics, for example when he provided mime/movement for Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One in 2018 and when he was a special action performer on Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) for that stunt scene in the church choreographed by the late Brad Allan.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Children of Men | Injured Refugee | |
| 2007 | The Deaths of Ian Stone | Emaciated Ian | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Harry Potter | Body double | |
| 2010 | Hereafter | Dying Hospital Patient | |
| Clash of the Titans | Charon's Tortured Soul | ||
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Ministry Wizard | ||
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Young Magneto | Body double |
| Captain America: The First Avenger | Skinny Steve Rogers | Pre-production visual effects body double | |
| 2012 | Wrath of the Titans | Hermes | Deleted scene |
| 2013 | Jack the Giant Slayer | The Not-So-Strong Man | |
| The Tractate Middoth | Rant's Ghost | BBC film shown on Christmas Day 2013 | |
| Thor: The Dark World | Marauder Creature | ||
| Last Days on Mars | Infected Marko | ||
| World War Z | Russian Zombie | Also visual effects movement reference | |
| 2014 | Kingsman: The Secret Service | Church congregation | Stunts |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | Toothless | ||
| 2015 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Varmik | Credited as creature and droid puppeteer |
| 2017 | Ghost Stories | Woolly | |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Gatha Elbaphay | Credited as creature and droid puppeteer | |
| 2018 | Ready Player One | IOI (special movement) | |
| 2018 | Ghost Stories | Woolly | |
| 2021 | Lair | Abyzou | |
| 2023 | The Marvels | Skrull | Also played the character 'Toothless' (deleted scene) |
| Unwelcome | Redcap Mr Sniff | Also creature movement coach | |
| 2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Tom - Shrinker | Also was a waiting room puppeteer for the man in a box |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | That Mitchell and Webb Look | Cricketer | Episode #2.3 |
| 2008–2009 | Sorry, I've Got No Head | Witchfinder | 7 episodes |
| 2010 | The Legend of Dick and Dom | Goblin | Episode: "Beastly" |
| Pete versus Life | Paul the Tramp | Episode: "Fankoo" | |
| The Bill | Drug Addict | Episode: "Tombstone" | |
| 2011 | How TV Ruined Your Life | Paul the Tramp | Episode: "Aspiration" |
| Holby City | Drug Addict | Episode: "Rescue Me" | |
| 2010–2011 | EastEnders | Dan Pearce | |
| 2012 | Peep Show | Supply Teacher | Episode: "Business Secrets of the Pharaohs" |
| 2014 | Rev. | Steve's Mate | Episode #3.4 |
| 2016 | Houdini and Doyle | First Alien | Episode: "The Monsters of Nethermoor" |
| 2022 | Willow | Troll | Episode: "Prisoners of Skellin" |
| Andor | Quadpaw Performer | Season 1 Episode 6 |
References
edit- ^ "Paul Warren - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Paul Warren - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Paul Warren Actor Creature Performer". Paul Warren Actor Creature Performer. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "Exclusief interview met Paul Warren (Varmik) | Star Wars Awakens". Star Wars Awakens (in Dutch). 19 May 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ "'Avenger' auteur: Joe Johnston shapes a muscular 'Captain America' | Film Journal International". filmjournal.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ "Paul Warren interview". Jedi News. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "Meet Paul Warren – Varmik the Hassk Thug – RetroZap!". RetroZap!. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ "Paul Warren on Twitter". Twitter. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "The Last Jedi Will Feature an Alien Version of Carrie Fisher's Dog". Nerdist. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "Filmography". Paul Warren Official Website. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Filmography". Paul Warren Official Website. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Filmography". Paul Warren Official Website. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Filmography". Paul Warren Official Website. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.