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John Paragon

John Paragon

Actor, writer and director, also producer · Died April 3, 2021, aged 66 · Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. John Dixon Paragon (born 9 December 1954) is an American actor, writer, and director. He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on an Army base. He grew up and attended schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. Paragon is probably best known for his work on children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse where he played Jambi the Genie and voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl. In addition to writing many of the regular season episodes of Playhouse, Paragon also co-wrote (with Paul Reubens) the acclaimed Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special in 1988, for which they were nominated an Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Children's Special. Some of Paragon's other memorable roles include Cedric, one half of the gay couple Bob and Cedric on the television series Seinfeld; the title character in the children's movie The Frog Prince; the sex shop salesman in the cult favorite Eating Raoul; and the owner of a Strip-o-gram business in the 1986 film Echo Park. Paragon got his start in the Los Angeles-based improvisation group The Groundlings alongside Reubens and Phil Hartman. He also collaborated with fellow Groundling Cassandra Peterson on numerous Elvira projects, including the recurring role of The Breather, an annoying caller, for her first television series on KHJ-TV-Los Angeles. In recent years, Paragon has worked with Walt Disney Imagineering on ways to incorporate improvisational performance into attractions at Disney parks. In this capacity, he performed as the keeper of Lucky the Dinosaur during the test runs of the animatronic figure. Paragon returned to his performance as Jambi the Genie in the Broadway outing of the new Pee-wee Herman stage show that began performances 26 October 2010 at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Paragon, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 9, 1954
Died
April 3, 2021 (aged 66)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, writer and director, also producer
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 102% in 30 days

What are John Paragon's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
34%
Society
22%
Bonds
20%
Ideas
12%
Survival
7%
Power
3%
Morality
3%
Community6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 4 · Wry 1 · Earnest 5

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 8

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Mentor
2 of 3
Trickster
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
10
Absurd
8
Warm
7
Tense
4
Triumphant
3
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Paragon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Paragon's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page.

  • Pee-wee's Big Holiday(2016)

    as TV Cameraman

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • 13 Nights of Elvira(2014)

    Show Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Jambi

  • Red Riding Hood(2006)

    as Fisherman

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Elvira's Haunted Hills(2001)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Rich Man's Wife(1996)

    as Maitre D'

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 5 episodes · Actor

  • Twin Sitters(1995)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • High Tide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Storybook Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 9 episodes · Actor

  • Every Breath(1993)

    as Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Bokar

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Elvira Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Co-Producer · Writer · as Reinfield (voice)

  • Ring of the Musketeers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Renegade(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • Honey, I Blew Up the Kid(1992)

    as Lab Technician

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Double Trouble(1992)

    Director · as FBI Agent

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Silk Stalkings(1991)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Harry and the Hendersons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Arnold

  • UHF(1989)

    as Richard Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Seinfeld(1989)

    Show 3 episodes · as Cedric

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse(1988)

    Writer · as Jambi / Pterri (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Elvira: Mistress of the Dark(1988)

    Writer · as Gas Station Attendant

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Spaceballs(1987)

    as Dink (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • North Shore(1987)

    as Professor

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Frog Prince(1986)

    as Ribbit / Prince of Freedly

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Sledge Hammer!(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Durward Monroe

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Pee-wee's Playhouse(1986)

    Show 45 episodes · Director · Writer · as Jambi

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Echo Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Hugo

  • Get Out of My Room(1985)

    Additional Writing · as Robert Walters

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Pee-wee's Big Adventure(1985)

    as Movie Lot Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Last of the Great Survivors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Beef

  • Going Berserk(1983)

    as Rooster

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show Actor

  • The Paragon of Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Writer · as Dr Berger / Debbie / Mr Excitement / Ramone Azteca and others

  • Cheers(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Grif Palmer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Madame's Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Holistic Doctor

  • Things Are Tough All Over(1982)

    as Red Carpet Man #1

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Facts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Actor

  • Pandemonium(1982)

    as Prisoner

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Eating Raoul(1982)

    as Sex Shop Salesman

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Elvira's Movie Macabre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Breather

  • The Pee-Wee Herman Show(1981)

    Writer · as Jambi the Genie

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Cheech and Chong's Next Movie(1980)

    as Director (Groundling)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles from 1975 to 2016; peak year 1981.

Biggest box office

UHF (1989)

$6.2M worldwide

Highest rated

The Pee-Wee Herman Show (1981)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986)

Film career

19752016

Peak 1981 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting37 of 44: 29 only acting, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thDirecting7 of 44: 4 only directing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score29thWriting9 of 44: 2 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndProducing1 of 44: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 44: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

44 titles, 9 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s25 · 25 acting · 6 crew1990s14 · 9 acting · 7 crew2000s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
8186

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do John Paragon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 22; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 31 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Red Riding Hood (2006)

95th percentile spread · 63% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Seinfeld (1989)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 50/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 27. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Paragon's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 25 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does John Paragon work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Paragon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Cassandra Peterson shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles