The world of comedy just shed another tear as one of their greats, Paul Mooney, passed away. His representative Cassandra Williams confirmed. Mooney died at his home in Oakland, Calif., after suffering a heart attack. He was 79.
He’s written for and worked with some of the world’s funniest comedians like Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, Gary Shandling, Keenan Ivory Wayans, just to name a few. And whenever comedians list their inspiration, they are sure to mention the name of Paul Mooney.
As a writer, Mooney has written for sitcoms such as Sanford and Son and Good Times, but more significantly with and for Richard Pryor. He was the head writer for Pryor’s groundbreaking The Richard Pryor Show, co-wrote much of the material on Pryor’s comedy albums (including the breakout “Live on the Sunset Strip”) and even was recruited by Pryor to provide material for Pryor’s hosting gig on Saturday Night Live.
Mooney was introduced to a whole new generation of fans when he appeared multiple times on Dave Chappelle’s Show. He played different characters, all seemingly close versions of himself including the classic recurring character Negrodamus, a Black version of the philosopher Nostradamus. The character specialized in answering questions like “Why do white people love Wayne Brady so much?” (Answer: “Because Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X”).
Much of Mooney’s stand-up material focused on race. His sets at the 2005 BET Comedy Awards and the 2006 BET tribute to Black History Month skewered celebrities like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey, Lil’ Kim, Diana Ross, Flavor Flav, Terrell Owens and more.
In 2007, he published a memoir titled “Black Is the New White,” in which he discussed his relationship with Pryor and some of his most iconic and controversial comedy sets.
As an actor, Mooney portrayed Junebug in Spike Lee’s 2000 Bamboozled. He also made numerous guest appearances on such TV series and specials like The Richard Pryor Show, The Larry Sanders Show, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and many more including, in 2004, his own comedy series Judge Mooney. Mooney has numerous film credits, including playing the legendary Sam Cooke in The Buddy Holly Story (1978).
Mooney was born in 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He relocated to Oakland with his mother when he was a child, and later began working as a circus ringmaster. After seeing comedian Lenny Bruce perform, Mooney moved to Los Angeles discovered he too had a knack for comedy and writing. He would then flourish as a writer using his form of comedy that was a sort of “telling it like it is, in-your-face brand of comedy while still being hilariously true.
Mooney never achieved the major success of his peers and attributed it to the fact that he tackled race, politics, and other hot button subjects with an unflinching eye. “Hollywood likes you a certain way when you’re Black,” he once said.
Here are some more of Mooney’s raw, edgy comedy that still gets laughs and makes you think.
Here are a few deleted scenes from Chappelle’s Show:
One quote from Paul Mooney that will always stick out: “Majority doesn’t rule. One person can change the world.”
Rest in Peace Paul Mooney.
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