[1] His mother, Imelda Bourke, was a well-known jazz singer in the 1950s and 1960s, performing at Adelaide city venues and making appearances on radio and television, but after marriage was mostly confined to the role of housewife.
For work, he Daryl ran the family business, FW Blackwell Funerals, inherited from his father Frank.
[2] The family lived in the middle-class eastern suburb of Wattle Park, and Paul attended Rostrevor College in Adelaide for his schooling.
[1] Among many performances for STCSA, he played a leading role in Andrew Bovell's 2016 work Things I Know to be True, as well as their co-presentation of Brian Friel's play Faith Healer (directed by Judy Davis[6] co-presented and produced by Belvoir, with Colin Friels taking the main role[7]).
The production was described as comprising "whimsical stories [which] emerge from dozens of suitcases and crates as three curious warehouse workers transform a storeroom into enchanting little miracles of music and play".
[5] In 2017 Blackwell toured Australia playing Parsons in 1984, a stage adaptation of George Orwell's novel by directors Duncan MacMillan and Robert Icke.
Other appearances in films included Candy, directed by Neil Armfield and starring Heath Ledger; December Boys, starring Daniel Radcliffe; Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger; [10] Television appearances include Patrol Boat, Colour in the Creek, All Saints, My Place, City Homicide, and Deadline Gallipoli.