| Paul Elia | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1988 Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
| Medium |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Website | watchpaulelia |
Paul Elia (born February 23, 1988) is an American comedian and actor from Detroit, MI. In 2024, his debut comedy special Detroit Player was released on YouTube. [1]
Elia was born in the city of San Diego, California on February 23, 1988, to Iraqi Assyrian immigrant parents. His family moved to Southfield in Metro Detroit in 1994. Growing up, his mother was a cashier and owner of a liquor store in Clinton Township, while his father worked as a butcher for various supermarkets. [2] He was initially two classes shy of graduating from Wayne State University with a bachelor's in English and had been hoping to apply to law school before deciding to become a comedian. After his first professional role on Detroit 1-8-7, he moved to Los Angeles, California. [3]
Elia arrived in Hollywood in 2011 and immediately hit the ground running – creating and producing his own projects with money he saved while working late nights at a nightclub. Although he didn't have any solid Hollywood representation, he was still managing to audition for various TV shows and films from his savvy networking skills (Elia claims he auditioned for over 400 projects before booking his first high paying job: A National commercial for Honda). He soon began to see an influx of roles in television and film. When asked by The Arab American News about his struggles, Elia said “You have to take big risks. The people who take big risks are the ones who make it...Of course you're going to be scared, but what you do with that defines you as a human being.” [4]
Throughout his career, Elia has been vocal about his Iraqi and especially his Assyrian heritage, and the issues pressing his community in wake of violence in indigenous Assyrian lands in Iraq. He has also been vocal about the divisions that the Assyrian community faces, namely regarding the naming dispute. [5] Elia has also discussed how he began to feel ostracized from his community as a result of his stance on unity, even receiving a death threat before touring in Toronto. [6] In a 2025 Substack article, Elia criticized the political origins of Chaldean identity and the impact that ongoing divisions had on his community, while expressing pride in his Assyrian ethnicity and his Chaldean Catholic religious background. [7]
Elia has previously cited his family (specifically his mother) as being one of the greatest influences in his life, due to her experiences in Iraq and her hard-working lifestyle in one of Michigan's many impoverish neighborhoods. In regard to his comedy, Elia has cited some of his closest partners, Matt Rife and Bassem Youssef, as people who have helped to strengthen his comedy career, including helping him to produce Detroit Player. [8]
Elia is currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is married to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. He has three brothers, who take professions in law, neurosurgery, and mortgage banking.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | CornerStore | Hassan Akrawi | |
| 2011 | Holly's Holiday | Darryl | |
| Exit 33 | Dax | ||
| Bad to the Bone | Jesus Hernandez | ||
| 2012 | Divorce Invitation | Sam | |
| 2013 | Only in L.A. | Hassan | |
| 2014 | Love in the Time of Monsters | Jim | |
| The Brittany Murphy Story | Caller Director | ||
| 2016 | Dirty | Detective Jackson | |
| In the Same Garden | Anton | ||
| 2017 | 2016 | Benton | |
| The Landlord | Heckler | ||
| 2018 | Stillwater | Willie | |
| 2020 | 2 Minutes of Fame | Uber Man | Uncredited role |
| 2022 | Who Killed Cooper Dunn? | Willie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Skill Crane | Eugene | |
| The Hill | Joey | ||
| 2010 | Scourge | Northmen Guard 2 | |
| Defying Deletion: The Fight over Iraq's Nineveh Plains | Terrorist | ||
| 2011 | Dick and Brain | Coffee Shop Owner | Episode 1 |
| Bluetooths for Better Living | Homeless Eddie | ||
| Detroit 1-8-7 | FBI Man #2 | Episode: "Blackout", Recurring cast member | |
| The Finalist | Harold Levy | ||
| 2012 | The People Who Were Never There | The Man | |
| 2013 | Vegas | AD | Episode: "Two of a Kind" |
| A Friend | Ralphy | ||
| Bad News | Mark | ||
| ABC Discovers: Los Angeles Talent Showcase | |||
| Nameless | Bullet #3 | ||
| 2014 | Mixology | Kevin | Episode: "Liv and Jim" |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Diaz | Episode: "Ragtag" | |
| Mistresses | Delivery Man | Episode: "Friends with Benefits" | |
| The Yellow Attic | Yusef Thabit | ||
| Mentor | Paul | ||
| 2014-2016 | Absolutely Jason Stuart | Himself | Recurring guest |
| 2015 | Xanadu | Joel | |
| Serial Scoop Now | Himself | Episode: "6th Annual ISAs Red Carpet Show - Part 5" | |
| The Perils of Posting | Himself | ||
| 2016 | Lady Dynamite | Brian | Episode: "I Love You" |
| Open House on Beverly | Mr. Kashat | ||
| Knives | Ray | ||
| No Other Like You | Him | ||
| 2017 | Add-TV | Himself | Episode: "Episode 1.1" |
| Sremm Break | Trevor Norton | ||
| Major Crimes | Charles Gray | Episode: "Shockwave: Part 2" | |
| 2018 | Broken Minds | Samuel | |
| Dry City | Seth | ||
| Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks | Himself | Episode: "The Inappropriate Barber" | |
| Sh#t I Love with Jason Stuart | Himself | Episode: "Paul Elia" | |
| 2018-2020 | Conan | Various roles | Recurring cast, seasons 8-10 |
| 2019 | TMI Hollywood | Himself | Episode: "Paul Elia Hosts TMI Hollywood" |
| 2020 | Doubting Thomas | Jon | |
| Ramy | Kalim | Episode: "Miakhalifa.mov" | |
| Tournament of Laughs | Himself | Episode: "And A Round of 32 We Go, Part 1" | |
| 2021 | Cultural Blasphemy | Himself | Episode: "John Mayer is Overrated" & "The Titanic Was NOT Iconic" |
| 2022 | We Need to Talk about America | Himself | |
| 2023 | All AT Once | ||
| Paul Elia: Detroit Player | Himself | Comedy special | |
| 2025 | Number 1 Happy Family USA | Uncle Ahmed | 6 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Action on Film Award | Breakout Action Star – Male | Bad to the Bone | Nominated |
| 2015 | Indie Series Awards | Best Writing (Comedy) | Mentor | |