Paul Mooney (comedian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Mooney
Mooney in December 2009
Birth name	Paul Gladney
Born	(1941-08-04)August 4, 1941 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	May 19, 2021(2021-05-19) (aged 79) Oakland, California, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film, books
Nationality	American
Years active	1962–2021
Genres	Observational comedy, improvisational comedy, sketch comedy
Subject(s)	African-American history, African-American culture, American politics, identity politics, current events, racism, race relations, pop culture
Notable works and roles	Sam Cooke in The Buddy Holly Story Junebug in Bamboozled Negrodamus in Chappelle's Show

Paul Gladney (born August 4, 1941 – died May 19, 2021), known as Paul Mooney, was an American comedian, writer, and actor. He was famous for his stand-up comedy. He worked with many well-known comedians like Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Dave Chappelle.

Mooney also wrote for comedian Richard Pryor and for popular TV shows. These shows included Sanford and Son, In Living Color, and Chappelle's Show. He also acted in movies such as The Buddy Holly Story (1978) and Bamboozled (2000).

Early Life and Beginnings

Paul Mooney was born in 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Oakland, California. His grandmother, Aimay Ealy, mostly raised him. She was known as "Mama" in the family.

Mooney got his stage name from an old movie actor named Paul Muni. Mooney started his career as a ringmaster for the Gatti-Charles Circus. He enjoyed writing jokes and telling funny stories. This love for comedy helped him get his first job writing for Richard Pryor.

Comedy Career Highlights

Paul Mooney wrote many comedy routines for Richard Pryor. He helped Pryor with his performances on Saturday Night Live. He also co-wrote material for Pryor's comedy albums and his film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.

Mooney was the head writer for The Richard Pryor Show. In this role, he helped many young comedians get their start. Some of these talented people included Robin Williams and Sandra Bernhard.

Writing for Television

Mooney also wrote for other popular TV shows. He wrote for Redd Foxx's show Sanford and Son. He also contributed to the show Good Times.

He was the main writer for the first year of In Living Color. This show was very popular and featured many funny characters. Mooney helped create the character Homey D. Clown, played by Damon Wayans. Later, Mooney acted alongside Damon Wayans in the movie Bamboozled. He played the character Junebug in this film.

Chappelle's Show Appearances

Paul Mooney became well-known for his appearances on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. He had a few different roles on the show. He appeared in sketches like "Ask a Black Dude" and "Mooney at the Movies."

His most famous role was Negrodamus. This character was a funny version of the famous prophet Nostradamus. As Negrodamus, Mooney would make up answers to funny and puzzling questions. For example, he answered "Why do white people love Wayne Brady?" by saying, "Because Wayne Brady makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X." Mooney had planned to continue this role in future seasons of Chappelle's Show.

Later Years and Legacy

In 2006, Paul Mooney hosted a special show for BET. It was called 25 Most @#%! Moments in Black History. In this show, he talked about some memorable moments involving African Americans since 1980.

In 2007, Mooney wrote his first book. It was a memoir, which is a story about his own life. The book was titled Black Is the New White.

In 2014, his brother shared that Mooney had prostate cancer. Despite this, Mooney continued to perform his stand-up comedy shows. He kept touring and making people laugh.

Death

Paul Mooney passed away on May 19, 2021. He was 79 years old. He died from a heart attack at his home in Oakland, California.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Stand-up Comedy Specials

• Race (1993) CD
• Master Piece (1994) CD
• Analyzing White America (2004) DVD
• Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra (2006) DVD
• It's the End of the World (2010) DVD
• Shaquille O' Neal's All Star Comedy Jam (2010) TV
• The Godfather of Comedy (2012) TV