spotlight
From Charity to Celebrity:
Chef
Paul McCullough
by lance perkins
Chef Paul McCullough grew up in New Jersey with an interesting family dynamic that made him the culinary master
that he is today. McCullough explains, “I guess I am the product of a ‘fisherman father’ and a ‘casserole queen’ for a mother
(laughs). My dad would take me out on these fantastic fishing adventures. I was this little scrawny kid on a boat catching
these big ol’ fish. He would filet them. He was such an expert. Then he would cook us amazing fish that night.” Paul contin-
ues, “My mom was the ‘casserole queen.’ They divorced when I was five. She was all about making food on a budget and
whatever was the easiest fastest way to get healthy food on the table. So combined, my childhood consisted of learning
cooking with a great combination of casseroles and really amazing high-end food.”
Paul’s first dreams and ambitions were much more of the theatrical than the cu- had a big sit-down dinner for 30 people, pulled out all the stops and just kept that
linary kind. He elaborates, “As a kid, I performed in a lot of plays and really enjoyed whole thing going over the six seasons of the show. It was a really great steady
it.” In 1990 McCullough moved to New York and graduated from the American client, four or five times a year when they’d be in L.A.”
Musical and Dramatic Academy. Paul explains, “After graduation, I thought some- Paul has “rubbed shoulders” with countless celebrities as he has catered many
thing amazing and miraculous would happen, like a big wand would come down photo shoots. Paul exudes, “We’d go all over the place. We’d be one day in Malibu
and I would get this hit Broadway show, TV commercial or movie. But it really shooting Tom Hanks on the beach and the next day we’d be in Joshua Tree with
doesn’t happen like that. I didn’t like the struggle and I didn’t like the unpredict- Darryl Hanna and then another day, we’d be in the studio with the cast from Will
ability of not knowing when the next job was going to come in. and Grace. I loved that because it wasn’t boring. I got to see Tom Hanks in his
After four years of trying to make it in New York, Paul decided at 24 years old underwear, Daryl Hannah topless, Ricki Lake after her photo shoot, completely
to move to Los Angeles. “When I first arrived in L.A., I made dinner for this guy I tanked on margaritas! So it’s fun to get a glimpse of celebrities. Sometimes they
was dating and he got a phone call during dinner from this rich, retired doctor have crazy food requests. Beyonce ordered all this amazing food for her crew and
looking for a chef. I met with him and was really honest. I said, ‘You know, I didn’t staff and then she wanted me to go and pick up Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. But
go to culinary school, but I’m a really good cook.’ So he said, ‘Let’s see how it goes!’ for the most part, they just want to be treated like everyone else. They don’t really
It went really well… he liked me, his dogs liked me and the food was really good.” want to be fussed over, but they do want to be treated well and they just want
Paul got a great education not only by teaching himself how to cook, but while good, basic food.”
working in the doctor’s home, he learned many other things that would help him Along the way, Paul met his husband, accomplished director, Jeremy Stanford.
in the future. Paul explains, “Jeremy is a big, tall and blue-eyed Australian. We have been
McCullough’s name started getting passed around from person to person together for 13 years in the spring. We got married last October. Our one-year an-
because of his culinary talents. Paul explains, “I started catering parties. I came niversary was October 16th. It’s funny to be in such a long-term relationship and
really strong on the scene when Sex and the City was on the air in the late ‘90s. We get married after being in it for so long. I didn’t think it would feel any differently
were good friends with the producers. So when the cast was in L.A., I would take but it really did. I got married, and I’m really married, this ring on my finger is all
care of the Los Angeles parties. So the night before they got their first Emmy, we legal now. Life couldn’t be any better. We bought a house seven years ago and we
44 RAGE monthly | november 2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96