---
name: "Paul Adelstein"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/paul-adelstein"
fi1m_id: "paul-adelstein"
imdb_id: "nm0011882"
tmdb_id: 17342
wikidata_id: "Q311084"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "29 April 1969"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-23T14:14:35.123931+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Paul Adelstein

## Identity

Paul Adelstein

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/paul-adelstein
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** paul-adelstein
- **IMDb ID:** nm0011882
- **TMDB ID:** 17342
- **Wikidata ID:** Q311084
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Adelstein, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q311084, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0011882/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17342

Actor. Born 29 April 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 29 April 1969, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 1990–present
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 84 (1), 2000s 74 (3), 2020s 67 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 72 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Crime 4, Drama 4, Thriller 2, Action & Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $307m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Adelstein, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q311084, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0011882/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17342

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Prison Break*](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md) (68)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Paul Adelstein is an American actor. He was born on 29 April 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from Bowdoin College. He began his career in Chicago theatre, working with New Crime Productions and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Adelstein made his film debut in *The Grifters* (1990). He is known for his role as Paul Kellerman in the series *Prison Break* (2005–2007, 2009, 2017) and as Cooper Freedman in *Private Practice* (2007–2013). Other credits include supporting roles in *Intolerable Cruelty* (2003), *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005) and *The Menu* (2022), and recurring appearances in *Scandal* and *Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce*. He co-created the series *Imposters* (2017–2018).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, prisonbreak.fandom.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Crime 101* (2026), Fi1m 67, as Mark — [page](https://film.one/film/crime-101.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, as Dr. Cooper Freedman — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Prison Break* (2005), Fi1m 68, as Paul Kellerman — [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *Collateral* (2004), Fi1m 85, as Fed #3 — [page](https://film.one/film/collateral.md)
- *The Grifters* (1990), Fi1m 84, as Sailor - Young Paul — [page](https://film.one/film/the-grifters.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Audacity* (2026), series, as Dr. Gary Felder
- *For Worse* (2026), as Chase
- *Crime 101* (2026), as Mark — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/crime-101.md)
- *All's Fair* (2025), series, as Matty Goodfader
- *We Strangers* (2025), as Ed Laich
- *Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story* (2024), series, as David Conn
- *Agatha All Along* (2024), series, as Jeff Kaplan
- *The Menu* (2022), as Ted
- *The Greatest Beer Run Ever* (2022), as Mr. Donohue
- *True Story* (2021), series, Actor
- *I Feel Bad* (2018), series, as David
- *Get Shorty* (2017), series, as Wes Krupke
- *Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk* (2017), as Allen
- *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* (2017), series, as Oscar Lehman — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-marvelous-mrs-maisel.md)
- *Imposters* (2017), series, as Shelly Cohen · Writer, Director, Creator
- *Chance* (2016), series, as Raymond Blackstone
- *The Phenom* (2016), as Scott Borwitz
- *Mothers and Daughters* (2016), as Peter
- *Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce* (2014), series, as Jake
- *Return to Zero* (2014), as Aaron Royal
- *Chicago P.D.* (2014), series, as Jason Crawford
- *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013), series, as Seamus Murphy — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/brooklyn-nine-nine.md)
- *Scandal* (2012), series, as Leo Bergen
- *Happy Sushi* (2010), as Guy at Table
- *Little Fish, Strange Pond* (2009), as Philly
- *Land of the Lost* (2009), as Astronaut (voice)
- *The Missing Person* (2009), as Drexler Hewitt
- *Private Practice* (2007), series, as Cooper Freedman · Director
- *Memoirs of a Geisha* (2005), as Lieutenant Hutchins
- *Prison Break* (2005), series, as Paul Kellerman — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, as Dr. Cooper Freedman — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Be Cool* (2005), as Hy Gordon
- *American Dad!* (2005), series, as Kevin Brougham (voice)
- *Medium* (2005), series, as Craig
- *Collateral* (2004), as Fed #3 — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/collateral.md)
- *Century City* (2004), series, Actor
- *Intolerable Cruelty* (2003), as Wrigley
- *The Lyon's Den* (2003), series, Actor
- *Las Vegas* (2003), series, as Alex Brooks
- *Hack* (2002), series, as Aldo Rossi
- *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Dave Lovitt
- *Breaking News* (2002), series, as Julian Kerbis
- *Scrubs* (2001), series, as Dr. Stone
- *Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law* (2000), series, Actor
- *Bedazzled* (2000), as Bob / Roberto / Beach Jock / Sportscaster / Lincoln Aide
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Dr. Neil Alexander
- *Turks* (1999), series, as Cliff
- *Cupid* (1998), series, as Mike
- *My Best Friend's Wedding* (1997), as Brunch Guest (uncredited)
- *Peoria Babylon* (1997), Actor
- *ER* (1994), series, as Hank Loman, Paul — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *The Grifters* (1990), as Sailor - Young Paul — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-grifters.md)
- *Nobody's Watching*, series, as Jeff Tucker

## Gallery

- ![NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) - Sailors pose for a photo with actors and actresses who are part of an Ambassadors of Hollywood tour at Arme](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-45906d3fe596.jpg) NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) - Sailors pose for a photo with actors and actresses who are part of an Ambassadors of Hollywood tour at Arme — Kelsey S. Culbertson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Paul_Adelstein%2C_Darby_Stanchfield%2C_Raymond_Cruz_and_Tiya_Sircar_group_photo_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg/1280px-Paul_Adelstein%2C_Darby_Stanchfield%2C_Raymond_Cruz_and_Tiya_Sircar_group_photo_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) - Actors and actresses who are part of an Ambassadors of Hollywood tour participate in a radio interview at A](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-93e85a7958be.jpg) NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) - Actors and actresses who are part of an Ambassadors of Hollywood tour participate in a radio interview at A — Kelsey S. Culbertson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Paul_Adelstein%2C_Darby_Stanchfield%2C_Raymond_Cruz_and_Tiya_Sircar_radio_interview_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg/1280px-Paul_Adelstein%2C_Darby_Stanchfield%2C_Raymond_Cruz_and_Tiya_Sircar_radio_interview_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Paul Adelstein](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-64fcb32a4a4c.jpg) Paul Adelstein — amysusanne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Paul_Adelstein_2008.jpg/1280px-Paul_Adelstein_2008.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Paul Adelstein, September 2008, ABC Fall Preview Party at the Paley Center](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-ad3f2c954e04.jpg) Paul Adelstein, September 2008, ABC Fall Preview Party at the Paley Center — amysusanne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Paul_Adelstein_2008_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Paul_Adelstein_2008_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Paul Adelstein](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-2952faef93d8.jpg) Paul Adelstein — Image via TMDB
- ![231013-N-AN659-1005NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) -- Sailors attached to Patrol Squadron (VP) 46, the ‘Grey Knights,’ speak to Tiya Sircar a](https://film.one/media/person/301083/gallery-c03843ce619c.jpg) 231013-N-AN659-1005NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 13, 2023) -- Sailors attached to Patrol Squadron (VP) 46, the ‘Grey Knights,’ speak to Tiya Sircar a — Jacquelin Frost, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Tiya_Sircar_and_Paul_Adelstein_inside_a_P-8A_Poseidon_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg/1280px-Tiya_Sircar_and_Paul_Adelstein_inside_a_P-8A_Poseidon_at_NAS_Sigonella.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/paul-adelstein