Paul Adelstein

Paul Adelstein Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: April 29, 1969

Age: 54 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Paul Adelstein was a respected Chicago theater actor before capturing the attention of television audiences as wily Secret Service Agent Paul Kellerman on the action-packed series "Prison Break" (Fox, 2005-09; 2017). The role earned him cult-TV status and eventually led to his casting on the highly-anticipated "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 2005- ) spin-off "Private Practice" (ABC, 2007-13). Born on April 29, 1969, Adelstein grew up in the Chicago area. He attended Bowdoin College in Maine and after graduating summa cum laude with a degree in English, the 20-year-old returned to Chicago and joined John Cusack's commedia dell'arte troupe, New Crime Productions, as well as took workshops at the well known Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago. After appearing in stage versions of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "The Balcony," Adelstein joined the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where he appeared in numerous performances such as "A Clockwork Orange" and "A Soldier's Tale." Adelstein made the leap to the big screen in 1990, alongside longtime friend John Cusack in the crime drama "The Grifters" and made his television debut on the short-lived Chicago-set series of "Cupid" (ABC, 1998-99) starring another famous friend, Jeremy Piven. At the urging of his celebrity friends, Adelstein relocated to Los Angeles, where he landed guest spots on high profile network shows like "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (USA, 1999- ), "Medium" (NBC, 2005-11) and "Scrubs" (NBC, 2001-08). He began to bulk up his screen resume with small roles in "Intolerable Cruelty" (2003), "Collateral" (2004), and "Be Cool" (2005). The working actor finally hit "recognizable" status when he landed a regular series role portraying tough-as-nails Secret Service Agent Paul Kellerman on the gritty series, "Prison Break." The show did not garner rave reviews among critics, but had an enormous fan following around the world. Two seasons later, Adelstein left his shady government assassin persona behind, when his mysterious on-screen disappearance left fans questioning if Kellerman was really dead or alive. Adelstein resurfaced on ABC, displaying his more sensitive side as a pediatrics specialist on the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice," which was unfortunately cut short during the 2007 Writers Guild Strike. In the spin-off, Adelstein played the likeable, sex-obsessed Dr. Cooper Freedman - the good doc with the screwed-up love life.

Credits

Camille Live in de Lotto Arena

Actor
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Show
2022

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Actor
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True StoryStream

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Miniseries
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2018
31%

I Feel Bad: Extras

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Contestant
Game Show
2018

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2017

ImpostersStream

Creator
Series
2017
93%

ImpostersStream

Executive Producer
Series
2017
93%

ImpostersStream

Guest Star
Shelly Cohen
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2017
93%

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ChanceStream

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Mothers and Daughters

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Movie
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Brooklyn Nine-NineStream

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2010

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2010

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Guest Voice
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2009

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Talk
2009

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Movie
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Private PracticeStream

Actor
Dr. Cooper Freedman
Series
2007

Private PracticeStream

Director
Series
2007

Today With Kathie Lee & Hoda

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Show
2007

Prison BreakStream

Actor
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Series
2005
61%

Prison BreakStream

Guest Star
Paul Kellerman
Series
2005
61%

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

American DadStream

Guest Voice
Kevin Brougham
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MediumStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

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Actor
Hy Gordon
Movie
2005
30%

Memoirs Of A GeishaStream

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Movie
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35%

CollateralStream

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2004
86%

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Actor
Movie
2003

Intolerable CrueltyStream

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Movie
2003
75%

Hack

Guest Star
Show
2002

Without a TraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

ScrubsStream

Guest Star
Dr. Stone
Series
2001
83%

Bedazzled

Actor
Lincoln Aide/Jerry/Alejandro/Beach Jock
Movie
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Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

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Series
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78%

Turks

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Show
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

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Movie
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ERStream

Guest Star
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Series
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