Biography
Paul McCarthy works as an actor, writer, cabaret performer and comedian appearing on stage and TV, and as a corporate entertainer.
He started out in the Melbourne University comedy revue Laminex On The Rocks during the second ever Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987. Since the late 80s Paul has lovingly tormented audiences with strange comic creations Mel Toupe, Noeline Dragge, Paul Cheese (of The Cheese Brothers) and, more recently, cabaret sensation Cliff Hanger, along the way receiving two Green Room Awards for Cabaret and an award for Best Cabaret Show for Melbourne Fringe 2002.
He has appeared at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival three times: twice in his Cliff Hanger persona (in Cliff Hanger In Catch A Falling Star and with Pastel Vespa in Cliff and Pastel Together Again At Last!) and in Michael Dalley's Green Room Award nominated cabaret Intimate Apparel. Paul has since collaborated with Michael Dalley again on the cabaret Mademoiselle (2012).
He started out in the Melbourne University comedy revue Laminex On The Rocks during the second ever Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987. Since the late 80s Paul has lovingly tormented audiences with strange comic creations Mel Toupe, Noeline Dragge, Paul Cheese (of The Cheese Brothers) and, more recently, cabaret sensation Cliff Hanger, along the way receiving two Green Room Awards for Cabaret and an award for Best Cabaret Show for Melbourne Fringe 2002.
He has appeared at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival three times: twice in his Cliff Hanger persona (in Cliff Hanger In Catch A Falling Star and with Pastel Vespa in Cliff and Pastel Together Again At Last!) and in Michael Dalley's Green Room Award nominated cabaret Intimate Apparel. Paul has since collaborated with Michael Dalley again on the cabaret Mademoiselle (2012).
In 2014 Paul premiered his first solo stand-up comedy show, Identity Crisis, at Perth's Fringeworld Festival and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Paul has premiered a new Cliff Hanger show, Solitary Man, in the town in which he lives, Kyneton, Victoria, to sell-out crowds, in 2015 and 2016.
Paul directed Fiona Scott-Norman's Green Room Award winning cabaret The Needle And The Damage Done (2007). He has also directed shows at La Trobe and Melbourne Universities, as well as solo shows by Jodie J Hill, Geraldine Quinn and Vanessa Steinberg.
Paul's tidy TV career saw him starting out as a guest actor on Neighbours, Thunderstone and The Saddle Club before becoming an ensemble member of sketch comedy show Totally Full Frontal (1998-9). Paul's work on the long-running Logie award-nominated sketch series Comedy Inc: The Late Shift has been nominated for an AFI Award. His impersonations of ex-PMs John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, current PM Malcolm Turnbull, and would-be-PM-if-given-the-opportunity brekky TV host David Koch have won him broad acclaim, including the chance to open the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards as the Kochie character.
2009 saw Paul return to prime-time TV with sketch comedy program Double Take (Seven Network), in which he showcased many of his alter-egos (Kochie, then-PM KRudd, Bert Newton and Tom Cruise to name a few), and in 2011, Paul continued his relationship with sketch comedy as part of the ensemble for Ben Elton's Live From Planet Earth (Nine Network) after guest roles in Sleuth 101 (ABC), No Leave, No Life (Seven Network), The National IQ Test 2010 (Nine Network) and The Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away(Nine Network).
Paul's latest foray into sketch comedy, Wednesday Night Fever (ABC), premiered to great acclaim in 2013, continuing his relationship with Quail TV with whom he worked on At Home With Julia (ABC 2011).
Paul's long list of corporate clients include the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association, mining engineering consultancy ATC Williams, The Photon Group, the Googong Lifestyle Development company, and in 2016 he appeared in a TVC for travel website Webjet.
Clips from Paul's TV career can be found on his youtube channel. He is represented by Helen Pandos Management.
Paul directed Fiona Scott-Norman's Green Room Award winning cabaret The Needle And The Damage Done (2007). He has also directed shows at La Trobe and Melbourne Universities, as well as solo shows by Jodie J Hill, Geraldine Quinn and Vanessa Steinberg.
Paul's tidy TV career saw him starting out as a guest actor on Neighbours, Thunderstone and The Saddle Club before becoming an ensemble member of sketch comedy show Totally Full Frontal (1998-9). Paul's work on the long-running Logie award-nominated sketch series Comedy Inc: The Late Shift has been nominated for an AFI Award. His impersonations of ex-PMs John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, current PM Malcolm Turnbull, and would-be-PM-if-given-the-opportunity brekky TV host David Koch have won him broad acclaim, including the chance to open the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards as the Kochie character.
2009 saw Paul return to prime-time TV with sketch comedy program Double Take (Seven Network), in which he showcased many of his alter-egos (Kochie, then-PM KRudd, Bert Newton and Tom Cruise to name a few), and in 2011, Paul continued his relationship with sketch comedy as part of the ensemble for Ben Elton's Live From Planet Earth (Nine Network) after guest roles in Sleuth 101 (ABC), No Leave, No Life (Seven Network), The National IQ Test 2010 (Nine Network) and The Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away(Nine Network).
Paul's latest foray into sketch comedy, Wednesday Night Fever (ABC), premiered to great acclaim in 2013, continuing his relationship with Quail TV with whom he worked on At Home With Julia (ABC 2011).
Paul's long list of corporate clients include the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association, mining engineering consultancy ATC Williams, The Photon Group, the Googong Lifestyle Development company, and in 2016 he appeared in a TVC for travel website Webjet.
Clips from Paul's TV career can be found on his youtube channel. He is represented by Helen Pandos Management.
FILM
Crackerjack (2001) Barry / Paul Moloney / Molloy Boy Films
Guru Wayne (2001) Luthor / Letitia McQuade / Millennium Films
One Way Ticket (1997) Colling / Richard Franklin / Nine Network
TELEVISION
Neighbours ep: 8438 (2020) Ted Tatum / Tanika Smith / Fremantle / TEN
Playing For Keeps (2018) Jim / Sian Davies / Screentime / TEN
Nowhere Boys (Series 3, 2017) Judge / Nicholas Verso / Matchbox Pictures / ABC
Upper Middle Bogan (Series 2, 2014) Maitre'd / Wayne Hope / Gristmill / ABC
Wednesday Night Fever (2013) Ensemble / Erin White / Quail TV / ABC
Underbelly Files: the Man Who Got Away (2011) Parole Board Member / Cherie Nowlan / Nine
At Home With Julia (2011) Kevin Rudd / Erin White / Quail TV / ABC
Ben Elton Live From Planet Earth (2011) Ensemble / Ben Elton / Fremantle / Nine
The National IQ Test (2006) 'Impersonators' team captain / Nine
Sleuth 101: Late 'n' Live (2010) Johnny / Jon Olb / ABC
No Leave, No Life (2009) Celebrity guest / Darren Casey / Seven
Snake Tales (2009) Mr Smith / Daniel Nettheim / Westside Films / Nine
Double Take (2008) Ensemble / David McDonald / Fremantle / Nine
Comedy Slapdown (2008) Ensemble / Jon Olb / Fremantle / FOXTEL
Comedy Inc: The Late Shift (2005-7) Ensemble / David McDonald / Fremantle / Nine
Comedy Inc (2003-4) Ensemble / David McDonald / Crackerjack-Fremantle / Nine
The Legacy Of The Silver Shadow (2002) Horst /Julian McSwiney / Jonathan M Schiff / TEN
The Games II (2000) Paul / Bruce Permezeal / ABC
Thunderstone II (2000) Hal Bradbury / Julian McSwiney / Jonathan M Schiff / TEN
SoundBite (2000) Monologues / Marc Gracie / Artist Services / FOXTEL
Totally Full Frontal (1998-9) Ensemble / Marc Gracie / Artist Services / TEN
Neighbours (1997) Baxter / Grundy / TEN
Neighbours (1995) Larry Pile / Grundy / TEN
Neighbours (1995) Comedy Club MC / Grundy / TEN
THEATRE / CABARET
Cliff Hanger, Solitary Man (return; 2016) Cabaret / Fiona Scott-Norman / Major Tom's (Kyneton)
Cliff Hanger, Solitary Man (2015) Cabaret / Fiona Scott-Norman / Major Tom's (Kyneton)
Identity Crisis (2014) Stand-up / MICF
Identity Crisis (2014) Stand-up / Perth Fringeworld Festival
Kiss of Death (2013) Chamber musical / John Thorn / Melbourne Fringe Festival
Mademoiselle (2012) Cabaret / Michael Dalley / 45 Downstairs
Intimate Apparel (2008) Cabaret / Michael Dalley / Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Intimate Apparel (2007) Cabaret / Michael Dalley / Melbourne Fringe Festival
Cliff and Pastel Together again at Last! (2005) Cabaret / Fiona Scott-Norman / MICF
Cliff and Pastel Together again at Last! (2005) Cabaret / Fiona Scott-Norman / Adelaide Cabaret
Cliff Hanger in Catch A Falling Star (2004) Cabaret / Fiona Scott-Norman / MICF
Cliff Hanger in Catch A Falling Star (2003) Cabaret /Fiona Scott-Norman / Adelaide Cabaret
Cliff Hanger in Catch A Falling Star (2002) Cabaret /Fiona Scott-Norman / Melbourne Fringe
The Cheese Brothers (2002) Cabaret / Darren Casey / MICF
Measure For Measure (2000) Theatre /Simon Phillips / MTC
AWARDS
2012 Equity Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Television Comedy Series for At Home With Julia
2006 AFI Award (Nomination) for Best Comedy Performance for Comedy Inc
2002 Green Room Award for Most Innovative Use of Form Cabaret for Cliff Hanger In Catch A Falling Star
2002 Fringe Award for Best Cabaret Show
2001 Green Room Award for Best Cabaret Artiste for The Cheese Brothers
