Paul Paddick

Paul Paddick
Paul Paddick who plays as Captain Feathersword of The Wiggles, 2007
Background information
Born	16 February 1967 (1967-02-16) (age 45) Adelaide, South Australia
Genres	Entertainment comedian children's music
Years active	1993; 1995-present
Associated acts	The Wiggles

Paul Paddick (born 16 February 1967 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian actor. Paddick is best known for his portrayal of Captain Feathersword, "the friendly pirate," a character associated with the children's band The Wiggles.

Early life and education

Paddick earned a Bachelor of Music from Adelaide University, studying classical opera for three years.^[1]

He also studied drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), at the same time as Hugh Jackman.^[2] He has stated that even during his training as a performer, he "much preferred to be the comic second than the actual lead because it was much more fun and a lot less pressure. You got to get all the laughs and subtly steal part of the show".^[3]

The Wiggles

Paddick met Anthony Field, a founding member of The Wiggles, in 1993. By that time, Paddick had appeared in over fifteen major productions, including Victorian State Opera's "Don Quixote" and a two-year tour of "West Side Story". Field needed a hernia operation, so he asked Paddick to temporarily take over for him; for that tour, he not only stepped in for Field as the Blue Wiggle, Wags the Dog, and Captain Feathersword, he also played Dorothy the Dinosaur, who was performed by Murray Cook, the Red Wiggle. A job that was supposed to end in five weeks resulted in Paddick touring and appearing with The Wiggles full-time since 1995. He also appears in all of their Australian-produced television programs.^[1][3] Paddick has become so closely associated with the band that he is sometimes referred to as the "Fifth Wiggle," a name also given to Phillip Wilcher.^[2][4]

Paddick serves as "the adult relief" in The Wiggles' concerts; his vocal impersonations of singers such as Mick Jagger, Cher, Placido Domingo, and James Hetfield, have been called "the high point of The Wiggles stage show."^[1] Field states that Paddick is "as funny offstage as on".^[5]

Personal life

Paddick married dancer Charmaine Martin in 2004; they have one child. Martin was a part of The Wiggles touring company; she played Pirate Charlie, Henry the Octopus, and Dorothy the Dinosaur.^[1] Paddick's nickname is "Paddy."^[3]

See also

• Captain Feathersword

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Meacham, Steve (3 December 2005). "The master of sword play". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/12/01/1133311137232.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved 10 August 2007. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Yeap, Sue (17 August 2006). "The fifth Wiggle sails on". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/the-fifth-wiggle-sails-on/2006/08/16/1155407816561.html. Retrieved 10 August 2007. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Baughman, Tony (12 November 2007). "Captain Feathersword may steal The Wiggles' show". The Aiken Standard. http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/1111GOFeathersword. Retrieved 16 November 2007. 
4. ^ Sams, Christine (1 August 2005). "The Fifth Wiggle speaks out". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/the-fifth-wiggle-speaks-out/2005/07/31/1122748516558.html. Retrieved 10 August 2007. 
5. ^ Scott McNulty (25 August 2009). The Wiggles: An interview (YouTube clip). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcy9AU35X0g. Retrieved 9 September 2009.