Paul Kaye has been a familiar face on our screens for years. From playing loud-mouthed interviewer Dennis Pennis in the late 1990s to Game of Thrones's Thoros of Myr and the Psychiatrist in Ricky Gervais's After Life, the actor has held a wide variety of roles over the years.
Until last year, Paul portrayed forensics expert Dr Malcolm Donahue in ITV's popular detective series, Vera. The actor starred alongside Brenda Blethyn and Kenny Doughty from season nine until hanging up his lab coat in season 12's premiere episode. While he's a regular face in some of TV's biggest shows, how much do you know about Paul's life away from the cameras? Keep reading to find out more about his home life here…
Paul Kaye's family life and 34-year marriage
Since 1989, Paul has been married to an Israeli woman named Orly Katz. The couple fell for each other when they were just 18 years old when Paul was living in a kibbutz in Tel Aviv during his year out of university.
Opening up about the early days of their courtship, Paul revealed the romantic gestures that won her over. "I fell for my wife after seeing her being thrown out of a dining room by her father for being drunk and disorderly," he wrote in The Guardian in 2008. "I started leaving paintings and twigs outside her door like a daft teenager and, one day, I came back and found a little soldier, suited and booted, in my cupboard. She had run away from the army. We got married and came back to England."
The couple went on to welcome two sons, Jordan, 32, and Geffen, 21. After Jordan was born, Paul and Orly briefly split before reuniting in 2001. "The split was very acrimonious but during the gap we got our careers together," the actor wrote. "We never divorced; I don't think we ever stopped loving each other. We're very happy now."
Paul's family tragedy
In 2008, Paul's mother-in-law, Shuli Katz was tragically killed after a missile was fired from Gaza into Israel.
The actor opened up about his family's grief in an interview with The Telegraph at the time. "Jordan is inconsolable. He has just lost two grandmothers in the space of two months," explained the actor, whose mother died of cancer just months before.
"It's just awful at that age. He's got his GCSEs coming up but I said he should go to Israel to be with the family. That's more important," he continued. "Orly is in severe shock. She [Mrs Katz] was such a gentle and beautiful lady and you just can't imagine her having such a violent end. It was instant so at least we can thank God for that."
Paul's departure from Vera
Paul's co-star Brenda confirmed his exit from the show ahead of the season 12 premiere.
"We say goodbye to the wonderful Paul Kaye as pathologist Dr Malcolm Donahue in the third new film 'Against The Tide,'" she said at the time.
"Paul is one of the most positive people I know. No matter what the circumstances he'll find something positive to say. There was total respect between Vera and Malcolm along with some very dry humour from him. The relationship between Vera and Malcolm has been interesting to play."
While Paul hasn't spoken about the reason behind his departure, he's since gone on to appear in several TV and films, including Apple TV+'s The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Disney +'s Shardlake and the 2024 comedy film, Seize Them!.