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Paul Shenar

Paul Shenar

Actor · Died October 11, 1989, aged 53 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Paul Shenar (February 12, 1936 – October 11, 1989) was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Scarface (1982), Raw Deal (1986), and The Big Blue (1998). A veteran of the Broadway stage, he was one of the founding members of the American Conservatory Theater in 1965. Shenar was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1983, and died from the disease in 1989 at age 53.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 12, 1936
Died
October 11, 1989 (aged 53)
From
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What are Paul Shenar's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Bonds
21%
Self
17%
Survival
7%
Ideas
7%
Power
6%
Society
5%
Ambition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

5 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 5 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 5
Trickster
1 of 5
Shapeshifter
1 of 5
Hero
1 of 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Contemplative
6
Thrilling
4
Melancholic
3
Dread
3
Other
3

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul Shenar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Shenar's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Big Blue(1988)

    as Dr. Laurence

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Best Seller(1987)

    as David Madlock

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Man on Fire(1987)

    as Ettore

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Bedroom Window(1987)

    as Collin

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Dark Mansions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Phillip Drake

  • Raw Deal(1986)

    as Paulo Rocca

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dream Lover(1986)

    as Ben Gardner

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Streets of Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as J. Elliott Sloan

  • Spenser: For Hire(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Brass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Schuyler Ross

  • Scarface(1983)

    as Alejandro Sosa

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Scarecrow and Mrs. King(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Deadly Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Joshua Adams

  • Richard II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Bolingbroke

  • The Secret of NIMH(1982)

    as Jenner (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The End of August (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Arobin

  • Dynasty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Beulah Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 3 episodes · as Roscoe Corlay

  • Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Michael Shillingford

  • Suddenly, Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Jack Graham

  • The Courage and the Passion(1978)

    as Nick Silcox

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women(1978)

    as Florenz Ziegfeld

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lulu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Ludwig Schon

  • Logan's Run(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as David Eakins

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Young Dan'l Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Hostage Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as James Cardone

  • Roots(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as John Carrington

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Keegans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Rudi Portinari

  • The Bionic Woman(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Wonder Woman(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lieutenant Wertz

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Night That Panicked America(1975)

    as Orson Welles

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Ellery Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Petrocelli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Execution of Private Slovik(1974)

    as Crawford

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cyrano de Begerac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as De Guiche

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Harris

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Sergeant Young

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Chadwick · as Todd Daniels

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Johnny Sands

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 39 titles from 1967 to 1988; peak year 1988.

Biggest box office

Scarface (1983)

$66M worldwide

Highest rated

Scarface (1983)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19671988

Peak 1988 · at the high point of their film career. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting39 of 39: 39 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1960s2 · acting1970s19 · acting1980s18 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Paul Shenar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

The Courage and the Passion (1978)

77th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Scarface (1983)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paul Shenar's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 91 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles36–57 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paul Shenar work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Shenar's MovieCove titles; Sergio Donati shares the most, 2.