Along with the sibling candy warfare, Paul's youth included a colorful association with the arts. Being that he was home schooled from Kindergarten all through high-school graduation, the arts were a place for Paul to excel socially and learn healthy competition amongst strangers.
In 1999, he placed in the top 25 in the nation for his piano playing in the NWC fine arts festival. And from 1995 through 1999, he took home blue ribbons from the Minnesota State Fair for his oil paintings. Currently he displays his paintings in the at the Wilcock Gallery in Excelsior, Minnesota.
Paul says that it was his mom, Linda, who first got him intrigued with acting by having him perform in theatre at his church. From there the acting bug and the love the world of art grew. When he was sixteen, Paul recalls informing his mom that he wanted to be an actor. Thankfully she didn't try to dissuade him, but rather asked him how he planned on accomplishing his dream. Paul did what most kids that are home schooled do when presented with a problem which they don't have an answer to- he went to the local library and checked out every title that remotely related to the topic of acting. (To this day Paul still spends hours at the library when researching roles.)
The most heart wrenching moment in Paul's emotional life came when he approached his dad at the doors of the local emergency room following news of a car accident. Gripping him in a bear hug, with tears streaming down his face, Paul's dad delivered the message "Mom didn't make it."
Paul's mom died instantly in that car wreck in the year 2000, and his two younger brothers were comatose. Paul's 18 year old brother Joe never came out of his and passed away three months later. Paul's youngest adopted brother, Isaiah, survived the accident and continues to bring his zest for life into the lives of Paul's entire family.
Paul has said, "I am not the only person to know sorrow, there is so much of it out there. I really hope that some of the work I do as a performer will reach out and touch people on an emotional level, and maybe even help them as it is helping me."
When not acting Paul can either be glimpsed with his head in a book between the rows at the library, or running to look for loose railway spikes at an old train station with his younger brother Isaiah.
