Actor Paul Paddick may be one of the biggest names on the preschool playground. But kids are actually gabbing about his alter ego, Captain Feathersword, a character from “The Wiggles” TV show and kiddie touring production.
In 1993, Paddick fell into the Wiggles by accident. Co-founder Anthony Field, the Blue Wiggle, had originated the comical swashbuckler. But when Field went under the knife for a hernia operation, Paddick filled in.
He eventually took on the role full time. Today, the Wiggles remain one of the most successful child-friendly acts going. The group sings can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head anthems such as “Fruit Salad” in front of a total of about 750,000 fans each year and have sold around 23 million DVDs and 7 million CDs. For the past three years, the Wiggles have ranked as Australia’s highest-earning entertainers leaving Russell Crowe, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman in their colorful dust.
Q: Do you believe it was fate that brought you to the Wiggles?
A: Absolutely. That series of events was very fateful and everything that’s happened since. I wouldn’t have met my wife if I hadn’t been doing this job. She worked with the Wiggles for awhile, too. That’s how we crossed paths. My son wouldn’t have been born, all of that.
Q: You’re sometimes referred to as the Fifth Wiggle.
A: Yeah, that's right. It's wonderful that people say that. It's largely to do with longevity, because in an industry where people are coming in and out, and we've had so many cast members over the years, it's extraordinary that I've been able to stay with it and be around for so long.
Q: You used to do vocal impersonations during shows. Are you doing anything new?
A: At the moment we’re doing a lot more acrobatic things. We’re heading toward a circus show for next year. Each year as the show progresses, it evolves and we start learning new skills for the show that’s about to come. We start our new show in December in Australia and that’s the show we tour over here next year. Next year’s show is “The Wiggles Big, Big Show — in the Round,” and it has a big circus feel to it with trampolines, tightropes, trapezes and all sorts of things. ...[I’m learning how to do] flips by myself, which has been excellent fun. And bungee ropes when you put the harness on and you spin around and around and bounce to the ceiling and stuff, which is so much fun. I’m walking on my hands; basically whatever I can learn in the short period that I’ve got, I’m going to throw it in there.
Q: You attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with Hugh Jackman. You guys have run into each other since then. Explain.
A: Hugh actually from the outset got pretty much every role I wanted to do. I was auditioning for “Beauty and the Beast,” and Hugh got the part. But you can’t follow him. He’s superb, but he’s such a lovely man. And we caught up one time. I said, “You’ve done so much stuff.” And he said, “But you’re in the Wiggles.” He thought that was pretty cool, as well, which was kind of nice. His kids come to the show in New York and stuff like that.
Show preview
“The Wiggles Go Bananas!”
1:30 p.m. Sunday. $10-$40. Gwinnett Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com .
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