Paul Stroili’s Television acting credits include Empire, Chicago P.D.,  and Malcolm in the Middle. His film credits include Only Dance Can Save Us, Wake, and The Beating. Paul was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance and an LA Weekly Award for Paul Stroili’s Straight Up with a Twist, which enjoyed over 1000 performances nationwide, including a twice extended Off-Broadway run. He is a Resident Artist at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan (founded by Jeff Daniels). Paul attended the State University of New York at New Paltz.  As a playwright, his works include Last Call at the Aardvark,Cheese Louise (with Maureen Morley), My Dinner with Arlecchino and Plane Crazy (with Cissy Conner), and A Jukebox for the Algonquin. In part one of our two-part conversation, we discuss Paul's career as an actor, writer, director, and clown shoe template.