John Paulsen (born May 11, 1963, Iowa) is an American actor and writer who relocated to Seattle by 1991, where he worked as a waiter before pursuing acting through local theater. He has trained extensively in Meisner Technique, Shakespeare, Linklater Voice Technique, Movement, Improvisation, and Playwriting, and is a SAG-AFTRA member. He made his New York theatrical debut with Paulsen's Lonely Banquet (2005) at the HERE Arts Center, and has performed in solo shows including Doolymoog. His theater credits include roles at Freehold Theatre (Caliban in The Tempest), ACT Theatre (A Lie of the Mind), and Seattle Repertory Theatre (City of Gold). He has also written and starred in short films including Greg (2005) and Eggs and Toast (2007). His notable film credits include Zoo (2007) (Michael C. Hall, Rebecca De Mornay), Visioneers (2008) (Zach Galifianakis, Judy Greer), Bigfoot (2012) (Danny Bonaduce, Barry Williams), Sadie (2018) (Kiersey Clemons, Chris Evans), East of the Mountains (2021) (Tom Skerritt, Mira Sorvino), and Marcie's (2025). On television he appeared as a trucker in Twin Peaks (2017) (Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee) and in multiple episodes of Z Nation (2014–2018) (Michael Hogan, Keith David).