In 1979, he received a Best Actor Emmy Award for his performances in Unicorn Tales, a series of mini-musicals for NBC.
The following year brought a second nomination in the same category for the NBC Special Treat presentation: “NYC Too Far From Tampa Blues.” In 1980 he was cast as Prince Choi Amid Sin Du in the Garry Marshall pilot “Kat Mandu” starring Vicki Lawrence, Alice Ghostly and Victor Buono, and he played a young mugger in CBSʼ “Stone Pillow” opposite Lucille Ball.
In 1987 he made his Broadway debut as Momo (Mohammed) at the Royale Theater in Hal Princeʼs musical Roza.
The show played to mixed reviews in both Baltimore and Los Angeles, but closed shortly after opening in New York.
After relocating to Los Angeles, the roles offered changed, and Paez played such parts as: the good guy, the Detective, the Politician, and the occasional Military Man in such shows as: NYPD Blue, The District, Charmed, The West Wing, Monk, CSI: Miami, Commander In Chief, Boston Legal and various movies of the week and mini-series, including A Gunfighter's Pledge and Meteor.