Paul Mooney (comedian)
Paul Mooney | |
---|---|
Birth name | Paul Gladney |
Born | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | August 4, 1941
Died | May 19, 2021 Oakland, California, U.S. | (aged 79)
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 (August 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021), better known by the stage name Paul Mooney, was an American comedian, writer, and actor.[1] He collaborated with Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle, wrote for comedian Richard Pryor and the television series Sanford and Son, In Living Color and Chappelle's Show, as well as acting in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), the Spike Lee-directed satirical film Bamboozled (2000), and Chappelle's Show.[2][3]
Early life
Mooney was born in 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana, and moved to Oakland, California, seven years later.[4] His parents were George Gladney and LaVoya Ealy.[5] Mooney was raised primarily by his grandmother Aimay Ealy, known among the family as "Mama".[6] Gladney coined the nickname "Mooney" after the original Scarface (1932) actor Paul Muni (which itself was the actor's stage name).[7]
Career
Mooney became a ringmaster with the Gatti-Charles Circus. During his stint as ringmaster, he always found himself writing comedy and telling jokes, which later helped Mooney land his first professional work as a writer for Richard Pryor.
Mooney wrote some of Pryor's routines for his 1975 appearance on Saturday Night Live; co-wrote his material for Pryor's albums ...Is It Something I Said? (1975), Bicentennial Nigger (1976), and Live on the Sunset Strip (1982); and co-wrote the screenplay of Pryor's 1986 film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.[8] As the head writer for The Richard Pryor Show, he gave many young comics, such as Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, Marsha Warfield, John Witherspoon, and Tim Reid, their first break into show business.
Mooney also wrote for Redd Foxx's Sanford and Son and Good Times, acted in several cult classics including the Richard Pryor comedy films Which Way Is Up?, Bustin' Loose, and the cult satirical comedy Hollywood Shuffle, and portrayed singer/songwriter Sam Cooke in The Buddy Holly Story.
He was the head writer for the first year of
Mooney initially appeared in the sketches "Ask a Black Dude" and "Mooney at the Movies" on
In 2006, Mooney hosted the
In 2007, Mooney released his first book, the memoir Black Is the New White.[1]
In November 2014, Paul's brother announced that Mooney had prostate cancer.[9] Mooney continued to tour, and perform his stand-up comedy act.[9]
BET Comedy Awards
In September 2005, Mooney performed a segment at the 2005 BET Comedy Awards called the "
How can somebody get arrested for (being under the influence
When Mooney was informed that Tracee Ellis Ross was in the audience, he stated:
I didn't know ... her mama could've been in there, that's not the point. I didn't drive drunk. Now I'm responsible for Diana Ross? If you scrutinize Jay Leno and David Letterman the same way you scrutinize me, then I'll agree with you, but if you don't touch them white folks don't touch me. They say whatever they want to say every night.[12]
The majority of Mooney's performance was edited out of the televised broadcast and not aired.[10]
"The N-Word"
On November 26, 2006, Mooney appeared on CNN and talked about how he would stop using the word "nigga" due to Michael Richards's outbursts on stage at the Laugh Factory.[13] He referred to Richards as having become "his Dr. Phil" and "cured" him of the use of the epithet. Mooney also said, "We're gonna stop using the n-word. I'm gonna stop using it. I'm not gonna use it again and I'm not gonna use the b-word. And we're gonna put an end to the n-word. Just say no to the n-word. We want all human beings throughout the world to stop using the n-word."[citation needed]
On November 30, Mooney elaborated upon these remarks from his appearance on CNN as a guest of
That show, which he performed at the Lincoln Theater following a set by Dick Gregory, took place on December 2, 2006. Mooney almost made it through his entire set—about an hour of jokes—before he mistakenly used the word in a routine on O. J. Simpson. He ran off stage covering his face in his hands, and walked back on a few moments later saying, "I'm really going to get it now. This is probably already on the Internet." On the BET special 25 Events that Mis-Shaped Black America, Mooney reiterated that he was no longer using the word. He was quoted as saying, "I am no longer going to use the n-word. Instead of saying 'What's up my nigga,' say 'What's up my Michael Richards.'" At a summit with Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton and Richards, Mooney forgave Richards.[15]
Personal life
In an August 2019 interview with Comedy Hype, Richard Pryor's ex-bodyguard, Rashon Khan, alleged that Mooney had molested Pryor's son, Richard Pryor Jr., when Pryor Jr. was a child. Khan also alleged that Pryor had expressed a desire to have Mooney killed in a
Death
On May 19, 2021, Mooney died of a
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | Carter's Army | Soldier | uncredited |
1972 | F.T.A. | Himself | documentary |
1977 | Which Way Is Up? | Inspector | |
1978 | The Buddy Holly Story | Sam Cooke | |
1981 | Bustin' Loose | Marvin | |
1985 | Brewster's Millions | Production consultant | |
1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | Writer | |
1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | President of NAACP | |
1994 | The Legend of Dolemite | Himself | |
1994 | In the Army Now | Lt. Col. Peter Hume | |
1998 | High Freakquency | Love Doctor | |
2000 | Bamboozled | Junebug | |
2001 | The Old Settler | Man at Counter | |
2001 | Call Me Claus | Writer | |
2002 | The Ketchup King | Padro Buyers | |
2003 | DysFunktional Family | Consultant | |
2003 | Bitter Jester | Himself | documentary |
2004 | The N-Word | Himself | documentary |
2002 | Paul Mooney: Analyzing White America | Himself | |
2006 | Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra | Himself | |
2007 | Homie Spumoni | George | |
2009 | Good Hair |
Himself | documentary |
2010 | It's the End of the World | Himself | |
2012 | The Godfather of Comedy | Himself | |
2014 | Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism | Himself | |
2016 | Meet the Blacks | Klansman |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Sanford and Son | Writer; 3 episodes | |
1974 | Good Times | Writer | |
1975 | Saturday Night Live | Writer; Episode: "Richard Pryor/Gil Scott-Heron"[22] | |
1977 | The Richard Pryor Show | Actor | Writer; 4 episodes |
1984 | Pryor's Place | Writer; 4 episodes | |
1990–94 | In Living Color | Writer; 16 episodes | |
1995 | The Larry Sanders Show | Clyde | Episode: "Beverly and the Prop Job" |
2003 | Chappelle's Show | Negrodamus |
Actor; 2 episodes Writer; 3 episodes |
2004 | Judge Mooney | Judge Mooney | Actor/Writer; 7 episodes[23] |
Stand-up
- Race (StepSun Music/Tommy Boy, 1993) CD
- Master Piece (StepSun Music, 1994) CD
- Analyzing White America(SHOUT! Factory/Sony Music Video, 2004) DVD
- Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra (QD3 Entertainment, 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
Bibliography
In his book Black Is the New White, Mooney talks about his partnership with
References
- ^ a b c Ryfle, Steve (March 26, 2010). "Richard Pryor's Designated Writer: An Interview With Paul Mooney". PopMatters.
- ^ "7 Television Shows You Didn't Know Paul Mooney Wrote For". Essence. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- National Public Radio.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
I see LaVoya, my real mother, more than I ever did in Shreveport. My father George Gladney stayed in Shreveport and faded out of my life,
- ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
- ^ Cornish, Stephanie (October 30, 2015). "Dick Gregory, Paul Mooney to Perform at Washington's Howard Theatre". AFRO American Newspapers. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Reeves, Marcus (May 20, 2014). "Paul Mooney Suffering From Prostate Cancer". BET.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
- ^ Reid, Jacque (June 25, 2011). "So Funny It Hurts? Comedians Who Go Too Far". The Root. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
- ^ a b "Comedian Paul Mooney's Outrageous Attack On Diana Ross At BET Awards Taping: A Freaked out, Tracee Ellis Ross, Was in the Audience". EURweb.com. September 26, 2005. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008.
- ^ Anderson, Brooke (November 28, 2006). "The racist rant heard 'round the world". CNN.
- ^ a b "When the 'N' Word Is Part of a Routine". NPR. November 30, 2006.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-8795-8.
- ^ Evans, Gavin (August 26, 2019). "Richard Pryor's Ex-Bodyguard Says Comic Wanted Paul Mooney Killed Because He Slept With His Son (UPDATE)". Complex. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Stolworthy, Jacob (May 19, 2021). "Paul Mooney death: Actor and comedy writing partner of Richard Pryor dies, aged 79". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ "Richard Pryor Jr. Says He Was Molested, Mooney Again Denies Claims". TMZ. August 27, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Shropshire, Terry (August 28, 2019). "Richard Pryor's widow backs claims that Paul Mooney raped Richard Pryor Jr". Rolling Out. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Evans, Greg (May 19, 2021). "Paul Mooney Dies: Trailblazing Comedian, Writing Partner Of Richard Pryor Was 79". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (May 19, 2021). "Paul Mooney, Pioneering Comic and Actor, Dies 79". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- Salon. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
Richard insisted that they hire Paul Mooney as his writer. His ex-wife, Shelley, and his new girlfriend, Kathy McKee, both had to be on the show.
- ^ "BET series slate stays close to script". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
- ISBN 9781416587965.
External links
- Paul Mooney at IMDb
- Paul Mooney discography at Discogs