Paul Andrew Paddick (born 16 February 1967) is an Australian singer and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of

Captain Feathersword Paul Andrew Paddick (born 16 February 1967) is an Australian singer and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Captain Feathersword, "the friendly pirate", a character associated with the children's band the Wiggles, where he eventually ca ...

, "the friendly pirate", a character associated with the children's band

the Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, C ...

, where he eventually came to be known as "the fifth Wiggle".

Early life and education

Paddick earned a Bachelor of Music from

Adelaide University The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on ...

, studying classical

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

for three years. He also studied drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), at the same time as

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, he landed his breakthrough role as James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine in the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2017), a role ...

. He has stated that even during his training as a performer, he "much preferred to be the comic second than the actual lead because it was much more fun and a lot less pressure. You got to get all the laughs and subtly steal part of the show". Paddick joined the

Victoria State Opera The Victoria State Opera (VSO), based in Melbourne, Australia, was founded in Melbourne in 1962. The company, founded by Leonard Spira, was a move into grand opera by the then amateur Gilbert and Sullivan-oriented Victorian Light Opera Co. The na ...

's touring group of ''West Side Story'' where he played Diesel from 1992–94. He also played the Robber King in ''Don Quixote''.

The Wiggles

Paddick met

Anthony Field Anthony Donald Joseph Field, AM (born 8 May 1963) is an Australian musician, actor, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a leader of the children's group the Wiggles and a member of the 1980s and 1990s pop band the Cockroaches. While s ...

, a founding member of

, in 1993. By that time, Paddick had appeared in over fifteen major productions, including Victorian State Opera's ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

'' and a two-year tour of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

''. Field needed a hernia operation, so he asked Paddick to temporarily take over for him; for that tour, he not only stepped in for Field as the Blue Wiggle, Wags the Dog, and Captain Feathersword, he also played Dorothy the Dinosaur, who was performed by Murray Cook, the Red Wiggle. A job that was supposed to end in five weeks resulted in Paddick touring and appearing with the Wiggles full-time since late 1995. He also appears in all of their Australian-produced television programs. Paddick has become so closely associated with the band that he is sometimes referred to as the "Fifth Wiggle," a name also given to

Phillip Wilcher Phillip Leslie Wilcher (born 16 March 1958) is an Australian pianist and classical music composer who was a founding member of the children's music group the Wiggles. When Wilcher published his first work, "Daybreak", at the age of 14, he was ...

. He also voices Henry the Octopus in tandem with Jeff Fatt, the original purple Wiggle. Paddick serves as "the adult relief" in The Wiggles' concerts; his vocal impersonations of singers such as

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...

, and

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, have been called "the high point of The Wiggles stage show." Field states that Paddick is "as funny offstage as on".

Personal life

Paddick married dancer Charmaine Martin in 2004. Martin was a part of the Wiggles touring company; she played Pirate Charlie, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog, and Dorothy the Dinosaur. They have two children. Paddick's nickname is "Paddy."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paddick, Paul 1967 births Living people The Wiggles members Musicians from Adelaide Male actors from Adelaide Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts alumni