Patrice O'Neal
Patrice O'Neal | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | December 7, 1969
Died | November 29, 2011 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 41)
Occupations |
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Years active | 1992–2011 |
Website | patriceoneal |
Patrice Lumumba Malcolm O'Neal (December 7, 1969 – November 29, 2011) was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his stand-up comedy career and his regular guest appearances on the talk show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and the radio show Opie and Anthony.
O'Neal began performing stand-up in 1992 and developed an act based on conversations with the audience, deconstructive analysis, and occasionally confrontational points of view.
Early life
Patrice Malcolm O'Neal
O'Neal attended
Career
Stand-up comedy
O'Neal performed his first stand-up in October 1992 at Estelle's in Boston.
In 1998, O'Neal relocated to New York City, working regular spots at the
In
In 2010, O'Neal recorded his first and only hour special for Comedy Central, Elephant in the Room. It originated after comedian Dave Attell had praised O'Neal's material to his manager, who entered discussions with the network about producing one. Despite O'Neal being adamant on filming in Washington, D.C., the network wanted it recorded in New York City and O'Neal eventually agreed.[19] The special premiered on February 19, 2011, with an uncut version released on CD and DVD three days later. O'Neal promoted the special with an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, his first network television appearance in four years.[4]
Television
In late 2000, O'Neal took a position as a writer for WWE after an associate of the company saw him perform. A big fan of professional wrestling, he pitched his idea for building a feud over three weeks that culminated in a pay-per-view event, which won him the job. He visited Vince McMahon's house, traveled with the organization for one week of live shows on their private jet, and directed some vignettes. He was then offered a 13-week contract, but turned it down as he already had plans. He later said that "it wouldn't have been a dream" if he had kept doing it and that it was enjoyable because "it was short and sweet".[20][21] Later in his career, he also walked away from potential opportunities such as acting roles on Web Junk 20, The Office, and Arrested Development, though he would eventually guest star on the latter two. He jokingly described himself as a "professional bridge-burner".[22]
By 2002, O'Neal had returned to the U.S. after he received an offer to record a half-hour comedy special on
O'Neal was a regular on the Fox series The Jury and starred in the Comedy Central animated program
In 2007, O'Neal revealed he turned down an opportunity to appear on
In 2007, O'Neal wrote and starred in a web series called The Patrice O'Neal Show – Coming Soon!
He played the role of a warehouse worker named Sea Monster on the American TV series, The Office from 2005-2007.[citation needed]
In 2011, O'Neal performed as one of the comedians for The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen as he expressed his respect for the actor and wished to tell him in person.[4] The show aired on September 19, 2011 with O'Neal the last comic to perform. It acquired 6.4 million viewers, still the highest-rated edition of the Comedy Central roasts. O'Neal's appearance on the roast was to be his final television appearance prior to his untimely death two months later. After the taping, O'Neal met William Shatner and his wife, who were also in attendance, in the garage and the couple offered their support to O'Neal regarding his diabetes, after which the three cried. Shatner recalled, "He knew that he was dying, that he was a dying man, and in a way, he wanted to die ... That's what I saw. That's why we cried."[4]
Radio
In 2002, O'Neal had returned to the New York City area. He made his debut appearance on the Opie and Anthony radio show on January 17, 2002, when friend and comedian Rich Vos brought him onto the show, which at the time aired from WNEW. After the show was cancelled in 2002 and relaunched on XM Satellite Radio in 2004, O'Neal returned as a guest, or sometimes sitting in for an absent Norton and became one of the show's most popular guests.[9]
In 2006, O'Neal settled in
In March 2010, O'Neal secured a deal with Comedy Central for a stand-up special and a script for a proposed reality television show, Patrice O'Neal's Guide to White People. He got the idea for the latter after he interjected into a conversation with two white males over guitar riffs, and thought of the idea of him "trying to learn about white folks".[28] The show was cancelled before filming could begin.
O'Neal's views on women have been the subject of discussion and sometimes described as
Other projects
O'Neal also appeared as a guest on other shows such as The Alex Jones Show and segments on Fox News. He voiced Jeffron James in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV on its in-game radio station Fizz!
On October 27, 2011, O'Neal's final interview was released with Jay Mohr for his podcast, Mohr Stories. He stated that his appearance at Sheen's roast did little to transform his career apart from helping sell out a weekend of stand-up shows at Caroline's. He revealed a further meeting with FX regarding a possible animated series, and a project that involved his friends coming to his home to record interviews.[4]
After O'Neal's death, BSeen Media announced the release of his first comedy album Mr. P, on which he had been working. The set, recorded in April 2011 at D.C. Improv in Washington, D.C., was released on February 7, 2012, with his involvement prior to his passing.[5][31] Sales of the release were donated to his mother, girlfriend, and stepdaughter. The album reached number one on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart and number 35 on the Billboard 200.[9] On November 6, 2012, a 20-minute selection of previously unreleased material was released on O'Neal's website and through iTunes titled Better Than You.[32]
On February 19, 2021, Comedy Central released Patrice O'Neal: Killing is Easy, a documentary on O'Neal's life and career. It was directed by Michael Bonfiglio who also served as executive producer along with Bill Burr, Al Madrigal, Michael Bertolina, and Vondecarlo Brown.[33]
Comic style
O'Neal cited George Carlin and Richard Pryor as his favorite comedians.[1][34] His comedy has been described as conversational.[5][35] His routines were characterized by an off-the-cuff approach and frequently adult themes.[36] He was direct when presenting his views, particularly on race and gender roles.[37][38] He was also a provocateur who often incited audience members to heckle or even leave the club. Gregg "Opie" Hughes stated that he had seen O'Neal "give people money to leave".[39]
Personal life
O'Neal was engaged to actress Vondecarlo Brown at the time of his death.[40]
He acknowledged on The Opie and Anthony Show, on April 25, 2008 that he was legally precluded from owning a firearm.[41]
Death
On the morning of October 19, 2011, O'Neal phoned his fiancée Vondecarlo Brown to tell her he could not move his legs. He was rushed to
At 7:00 am on November 29, 2011, O'Neal died of complications from his stroke, which was caused by the
The day after O'Neal's death, comedians gathered to eulogize him on Opie and Anthony, including Bill Burr,
Discography
- Elephant in the Room (2011)
- Mr. P (2012)[48]
- Better Than You (2012)[49]
- Patrice O'Neal: Unreleased (2013)
Filmography
Television
Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Apartment 2F | Comic | |
2002 | The Colin Quinn Show
|
Various | |
2002 | Contest Searchlight | Himself | |
2002 | Chappelle's Show | Pit Bull | 2 episodes |
2002–2004 | Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn
|
Himself/Various | |
2003 | Yes, Dear | Tow Truck Driver | 1 episode |
2003 | Ed | Andre Stangel | Uncredited |
2003 | Arrested Development | T-Bone | 1 episode |
2004 | The Jury | Adam Walker | Recurring |
2004 | Shorties Watchin' Shorties | Baby Patrice | Voice |
2005 | One Night Stand | Himself | |
2004–2006 | O'Grady | Harold | Voice |
2005–2007 | The Office | Lonny "Sea Monster" | 3 episodes |
2006 | The Best Man | Himself | unaired Comedy Central pilot |
2006 | Web Junk 20 | Host | 2 seasons |
2008 | Assy McGee | Blind Anthony | Voice |
2008 | Z Rock | Stage Manager | Guest star |
2010 | The Green Room with Paul Provenza | Himself | |
2011 | The Roast of Charlie Sheen
|
Himself |
Film
Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Paper Soldiers | Big T | |
2002 | 25th Hour | Khari | |
2003 | Head of State | Warren | |
2003 | In the Cut | Hector | |
2006 | Scary Movie 4 | Rasheed | Uncredited |
2010 | Furry Vengeance | Gus | |
2011 | Elephant in the Room | Himself | |
2012 | Nature Calls | Mr. Caldwell | Posthumous release |
Video games
Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Jeffron James | Fizz! from the radio station WKTT |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Weiner, Jonah (Feb. 16, 2012). "Death of a Stand-Up." Rolling Stone, no. 1150, pp. 47–49.
- ^ "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time". Rollingstone.com. February 14, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Slotnik, Daniel E. (November 29, 2011). "Patrice O'Neal, Boisterous Comedian, Dies at 41". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k LeBlanc, Adrian Nicole (May 13, 2012). "The Comedian Comedians Were Afraid Of". New York Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Brownstein, Bill (January 28, 2012). "Parting shots from the fearless Mr. P". The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Unmasked with Patrice O'Neal at 32:53–32:58
- ^ "Patrice O'Neal Online". Patriceoneal.com. February 19, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Patrice O'Neal: A new album and a marathon of memories [Audio]". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Hirsch, Arthur (March 29, 1998). "Comic opera High drama at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
- ^ Unmasked with Patrice O'Neal at 09:45–09:59
- ^ Unmasked with Patrice O'Neal at 15:00–15:46
- ^ Unmasked with Patrice O'Neal at 17:37–17:54
- .
- .
- .
- .
- .
- ^ Brawley, Eddie (December 2015). "Truth Is a Feeling: An Oral History of Elephant in the Room". Vulture. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Goldstein, Andrew (May 17, 2016). "Wrestling With a Dream Job: How a Regular Guy Became a Writer for the WWE". Complex UK. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Heacock, Jon (March 9, 2010). "5 Questions With ... Patrice O'Neal". Atlantic City Weekly. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Harrington Announces June Retirement". Nesne.rhynewservice.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
- ^ Unmasked with Patrice O'Neal at 18:12–18:34
- ^ IMDb
- Highbeam Research.
- ^ Unmasked: Patrice O'Neal at 03:58–04:11
- ^ "Patrice O'Neal Online". Patriceoneal.com. February 19, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 24, 2010). "Patrice Oneal gets gigs at Comedy Central". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Haglund, David (February 7, 2012). "Patrice O'Neal's Hilarious and Bittersweet Farewell". Slate.com.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (August 8, 2016). "Patrice O'Neal's Episode of 'WTF' Provided Great Insight Into His Fascinating, Troubling Mind". Vulture.com.
- ^ "New Patrice O'Neal album will be released next year". Laughspin.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
- ^ Brownstein, Bill (November 2, 2012). "Patrice O'Neal remains a comedy force". The Gazette. Montreal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ^ "Comedy Central to Debut New Doc on Patrice O'Neal Titled 'Patrice O'Neal: Killing is Easy'". February 10, 2021.
- ^ Venutolo, Anthony (November 29, 2011). "Comedian Patrice O'Neal dead at 41". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ Jackson, Todd (November 29, 2011). "Patrice O'Neal 1969–2011". Dead-Frog. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ "Patrice O'Neal". BET.com.
- ^ Getlen, Larry (September 28, 2013). "After death, Patrice O'Neal is more popular than ever". New York Post.
- ^ Phil, Wang (May 22, 2015). "Phil Wang on Patrice O'Neal – indefensible views, undeniably funny". The Guardian.
- ^ The Opie and Anthony Show, November 30, 2011, Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
- ^ "Comedy Central Partners with All Things Comedy for Patrice O'Neal Documentary". October 22, 2019.
- ^ The Opie and Anthony Show, April 25, 2008, Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
- ^ "Comedian Patrice O'Neal Suffers a Stroke, Unclear If He Will Recover". E!. October 26, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ Hartsell, Carol (October 26, 2011). "Comedian Patrice O'Neal Suffers Stroke". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ Hartsell, Carol (November 29, 2011). "Patrice O'Neal Dead: Comedian Dies At 41 Following Diabetes Battle, Stroke". The Huffington Post.
- ^ "Patrice O'Neal to receive weekend-long tribute from Opie and Anthony on Sirius XM Radio". December 1, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ Potts, Kimberly (November 30, 2011). "Comedy Central to air Patrice Oneal special Wednesday". Reuters. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
- ^ "In Memoriam". YouTube. September 23, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Patrick, Bromley. "Patrice O'Neal Mr. P album review". The Spit Take. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- ^ Berkowitz, Daniel. "Patrice O'Neal Better than You single review". The Spit Take. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
Work cited:
- Bennington, Ron; O'Neal, Patrice (July 12, 2007). "Patrice O'Neal". Unmasked (Radio broadcast). SiriusXM Radio.
External links
- Official website
- Patrice Oneal at IMDb