Paul Mooney, the legendary comedian most beloved for his acid-tinged jokes and unapologetically brutal takes on race relations, has passed away. He was 79.
The man who’s known to millennials for his frequent appearances on Dave Chappelle’s iconic Comedy Central show, “Chappelle’s Show,” suffered a fatal heart attack at his Oakland, California, home, the New York Daily News reports.
The family confirmed Mooney’s passing in a Twitter post on Wednesday morning, May 19, 2021:
https://twitter.com/PaulEalyMooney/status/1395024913459814402
To preceding generations, Mooney, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana as Paul Gladney, is best known for being a writer for, and close confidante of, all-time great comedic legend Richard Pryor. He’s also attained acclaim as a TV and film actor, most particularly his role as singer Sam Cooke in the Oscar-winning movie, The Buddy Holly Story.
During his work on some of Pryor’s greatest shows and appearances, most particularly Live on the Sunset Strip and “Saturday Night Live,” he helped to give many young brilliant jokesters their break in the business such as Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, Marsha Warfield, John Witherspoon and Tim Reid
Mooney was also a writer on unforgettable shows like “Sanford and Son,” “Good Times” and “In Living Color,” where he inspired Damon Wayans’ hilarious “Homey the Clown” character. All the while, Mooney had starring roles in classic comedy films such as Pryor’s Which Way is Up and Robert Townend’s Hollywood Shuffle.
Paul Mooney likely gained his biggest fame in the new century on Chappelle’s Show due to a few stunning skits, including “Ask a Black Dude,” and playing a prognosticator named “Negrodamus.”
