Paul Chaplin (born Paul Schersten on May 1, 1956) is a U.S. writer and comedian, best known for his work on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, for which he wrote and played the recurring characters of an Observer, Ned the Nanite, Pitch the Demon, and Ortega, along with several other bit roles.

Biography

After earning his Master's Degree from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Paul Schersten became a community organizer in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Eventually, after finding little reward in his work, he left this line of work and decided to pursue a career in comedy. It was during this time that Schersten took the stage surname Chaplin.