Biographie
Paul LaGreca was born in the Throggs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, and grew up in Closter, New Jersey. His diverse journey began early, with ballet and tap dancing at age nine, and by five, he had memorized the entire script of The Wizard of Oz.
Following high school, Paul studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. A faculty member cast him as Billy Ray, Jr. in a touring production of On Golden Pond, earning him his Actors Equity card. His first commercial for Bubble Yum secured his Screen Actors Guild card. Represented by Shirley Grant of Shirley Grant Management in New York, his career took off.
Relocating to Hollywood in 1983, Paul guest-starred on popular network TV shows such as Airwolf, Knight Rider, and Whiz Kids, and appeared in films including Big Trouble and Student Confidential. He worked alongside notable industry figures like Alan Arkin, Peter Falk, Beverly D'Angelo, Harris Yulin, Timothy Hutton, Amanda Plummer, John Cassavetes, and Sidney Lumet.
In 1985, his life took a significant turn after meeting Mother Teresa (now Saint Teresa of Calcutta), who invited him to experience missionary life. Committing to change, he returned to New York and entered the seminary of the Missionaries of Charity to explore a possible priesthood vocation. While serving the poorest in New York’s slums, he eventually chose to leave the seminary. He then completed his B.A. in Philosophy at Saint Thomas Aquinas College and earned an M.A. in Theology from Seton Hall University.
His memoir, The Boy Behind the China Cabinet: A Memoir about Addiction, Hollywood, Mother Teresa and Me, was published in June 2020. It received the 2021 Reader's Favorite Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction Inspiration and the 2021 Kindle Award in the Memoir category.
After exploring various paths, Paul resumed his acting career in 2024, embracing the belief that life is a precious gift filled with endless possibilities.
