Paul Raci
☼ Born on 7 December 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, USA
BiographyPaul Raci is an American actor best known for his role as Joe in the Sound of Metal (2020) directed by Darius Marder, starring opposite Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke. Paul can also be seen in many TV shows including Baskets opposite Zach Galifinakis, Goliath opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Parks and Recreations opposite Amy Poehler.
Paul was born and raised in Chicago by Deaf parents and is fluent in American Sign Language. While in Chicago, he honed his acting chops at the local theaters and was a founding member of The Immediate Theater Company, where he was nominated for a Jefferson Award for their production of Children of a Lesser God. He also trained at Second City and has worked with several improvisation companies.
In Los Angeles, he has performed in over 12 productions with the locally acclaimed, Deaf West Theater including Of Mice and Men, Medea, Equus, A Christmas Carol, and most recently the acclaimed, award winning production of David Mamet's American Buffalo in ASL.
A Vietnam veteran, Paul is also a musician and singer with the band Hands of Doom an ASL rock, Black Sabbath Tribute band where Paul dazzles his audience with his outstanding, raw vocals and outrageously artful ASL. Paul has been married for years to Liz Hanley Raci. They have one daughter, Britta, who is also a singer, songwriter with the Indie Band It's Butter.
In the role of actor
Sing Sing (01/08/2024)
Prisoners rehabilitate themselves as members of a theatre program in Sing Sing. John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and a founding member of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre program at the prison. Before their latest production directed by Brent Buell (Paul Raci), the RTA brings on […]
Butcher’s Crossing – TIFF 2022 (27/09/2022)
A naive young man joins a grizzled veteran on a Buffalo hunt in Butcher’s Crossing. Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is a Harvard dropout who travels to the town of Butcher’s Crossing, Kansas hoping to join in on the booming market for Buffalo pelts. After questioning local trader JD McDonald (Paul Raci), Will comes across Miller […]
Sound of Metal (20/11/2020)
A heavy metal drummer struggles with the fact that he is going deaf in Sound of Metal. Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke) are a couple who tour together as part of a heavy metal band. One day Ruben gets an immense ringing in his ears and after going to a doctor he learns […]