Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsHoliday Watch GuideGotham AwardsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Paul Ben-Victor

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000227
Paul Ben-Victor
In Plain Sight: Gilted Lily
Play trailer1:37
Gilted Lily (2009)
61 Videos
99+ Photos
Paul Ben-Victor is an internationally recognized actor whose dynamic career spans decades in film, television, and theater, earning him a reputation as one of the most respected performers in the industry. Best known for his portrayal of Greek mobster Spiros Vondas on the iconic HBO series The Wire, often hailed as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, has built a diverse body of work across a range of groundbreaking roles.

Throughout his career, Paul has collaborated with legendary filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Tony Scott, Clint Eastwood, and Antoine Fuqua, cementing his place alongside cinema's most influential figures.

Paul stars in the breakout Netflix comedy Nobody Wants This, with Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Praised for its exceptional ensemble cast, the series has earned a 2024 Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy Series. He is also set for a key recurring role opposite Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre in HBO's upcoming drama series Lanterns, based on the Green Lantern DC comic. Paul recurs in The Lincoln Lawyer, a Netflix #1 hit, and joins the highly anticipated drama Man on Fire, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Bobby Cannavale, based on the best-selling novels by A.J. Quinnell. Additionally, Paul reprises his fan-favorite role as Coach Thurman in Everybody Still Hates Chris on Comedy Central. On HBO Max, Paul can be seen in season three of Bookie with Sebastian Maniscalco.

Paul's television work continues to impress with his portrayal of New Jersey mob boss Phil Russo in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, in the hit Starz series. He will also return as King Herod in the globally acclaimed The Chosen, slated for Spring 2025, and for Peacock NBC, where he has joined the cast of Bill Dubuque's M.I.A. playing Boris Federov, a Russian kingpin in the new Miami drama starring Cary Elwes.
BornJuly 24, 1965
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJuly 24, 1965
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000227
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos158

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 152
    View Poster

    Known for

    The Wire (2002)
    The Wire
    9.3
    TV Series
    • Spiros 'Vondas' Vondopoulos
    Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in The Irishman (2019)
    The Irishman
    7.8
    • Jake Gottlieb
    • 2019
    Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in Get Hard (2015)
    Get Hard
    6.0
    • Gayle
    • 2015
    Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in True Detective (2014)
    True Detective
    8.9
    TV Series
    • Major Leroy Salter

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Lanterns
      • Antaan
      • Post-production
      • TV Series
      • 2026
    • Man on Fire
      • Moncrief
      • Post-production
      • TV Series
    • M.I.A.
      • Pre-production
      • TV Series
    • Killing Castro
      • Sam Giancana
      • Post-production



    • Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in Nobody Wants This (2024)
      Nobody Wants This
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Ilan Roklov
      • 2024–2025
    • We're Alive: Descendants (2022)
      We're Alive: Descendants
      9.0
      Podcast Series
      • Angel Sr.
      • 2025
    • Tony Danza, Wendell Pierce, Erika Woods, Malcolm Mays, Patina Miller, Stefano Marchetti, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Mekai Curtis, and Marvin Thomas in Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2021)
      Power Book III: Raising Kanan
      7.7
      TV Series
      • Phil Russo
      • 2025
    • Emeraude Toubia in Rosario (2025)
      Rosario
      4.4
      • Marty
      • 2025
    • The Chosen (2017)
      The Chosen
      9.1
      TV Series
      • King Herod
      • 2024–2025
    • Omar J. Dorsey and Sebastian Maniscalco in Bookie (2023)
      Bookie
      7.5
      TV Series
      • Nick Quatrani
      • 2024–2025
    • Mark Wahlberg in Flight Risk (2025)
      Flight Risk
      5.2
      • Coleridge
      • 2025
    • Frank Grillo, Sean Gunn, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, David Harbour, and Zoë Chao in Creature Commandos (2024)
      Creature Commandos
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Bulldozer
      • General King
      • Large Son (voice)
      • 2024
    • Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, and Tim Johnson Jr. in Everybody Still Hates Chris (2024)
      Everybody Still Hates Chris
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Thurman
      • Mr. Thurman (voice)
      • 2024
    • The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
      The Lincoln Lawyer
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Sly Funaro Sr.
      • 2024
    • Penelope Ann Miller, Jason Patric, Mickey Rourke, Casper Van Dien, Patrick Muldoon, Paul Ben-Victor, David Lipper, Perrey Reeves, Tiffany Hines, Keli Price, Jack Kesy, and Jessica Lord in Murder at Hollow Creek (2024)
      Murder at Hollow Creek
      4.0
      • Jeff Rhodes
      • 2024
    • Morris Chestnut and Diarra Kilpatrick in Diarra from Detroit (2024)
      Diarra from Detroit
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Zervas
      • 2024
    • Another Day in America (2024)
      Another Day in America
      8.7
      • Sam Ackerman
      • 2024
    • William DeMeo and James Russo in Gravesend (2020)
      Gravesend
      5.7
      TV Series
      • Matty Cigars
      • 2020–2023
    • The Collective (2023)
      The Collective
      3.3
      • Miro
      • 2023

    Writer



    • Should've Been Romeo (2012)
      Should've Been Romeo
      5.5
      • screenplay
      • story
      • 2012

    Producer



    • Should've Been Romeo (2012)
      Should've Been Romeo
      5.5
      • producer
      • 2012
    • She Kills He (2005)
      She Kills He
      6.9
      Short
      • producer
      • 2005

    Videos61

    Anti-Social
    Clip 1:36
    Anti-Social
    Don Jon
    Clip 0:57
    Don Jon
    Don Jon
    Clip 0:57
    Don Jon
    Trailer
    Trailer 1:14
    Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Official Trailer
    Trailer #2
    Trailer 1:31
    Trailer #2
    Series Trailer
    Trailer 1:31
    Series Trailer

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative names
      • Paul BenVictor
    • Height
      • 5′ 7½″ (1.71 m)
    • Born
      • July 24, 1965
      • Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
    • Parents
        Victor Friedman
    • Other works
      (early to mid '90s) TV commercial: McDonald's burger restaurants
    • Publicity listings
      • 4 Interviews
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A native of Brooklyn, New York and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University 1980.
    • Trademark
        Deep, gravelly voice

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Paul Ben-Victor?
      59 years old
    • When was Paul Ben-Victor born?
      July 24, 1965
    • Where was Paul Ben-Victor born?
      Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
    • How tall is Paul Ben-Victor?
      5 feet 8 inches, or 1.71 meters
    • What is Paul Ben-Victor known for?
      The Wire, The Irishman, True Detective, and Get Hard

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.