Paul Hipp grew up in the Philadelphia area. He moved to New York at 17 to study acting with William Hickey and Mira Rostova. During these years Paul supported himself by playing guitar and singing on the streets of New York. He eventually landed gigs playing the legendary clubs of Greenwich Village and occasional commercials. One night director Abel Ferrara spotted Hipp at a gig on Bleeker Street and asked him to audition for his film China Girl (1987) . Paul won the part of Nino Villache over h