Paul Mooney
Stand-up comedian · 1941–2021

Paul Mooney

Who Paul Mooney is

Comedian, writer and actor who wrote for Richard Pryor — including material for his albums and, as head writer, The Richard Pryor Show — as well as Sanford and Son and the first year of In Living Color, and played Negrodamus on Chappelle's Show. His own stand-up releases include Analyzing White America and Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra, and he wrote the memoir Black Is the New White (2007).

At a glance

Born
1941
Died
2021
Style
Political authorship, Political
Came up through
The Comedy Store and In Living Color
Stand-up specials
Black People Built the Pyramids, Analyzing White America, Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra and 2 more
Albums
Race and Master Piece
Podcasts
Black Is the New White
On screen
Chappelle's Show, In Living Color, The Richard Pryor Show and 5 more

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

Albums

On screen

Podcasts

Where they got their start

Came up the same way

Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Comedy Store and In Living Color:

The Launching Pads: the shows the comedians came through →

Comedians like Paul Mooney

Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.

Every stand-up comedian with a page, A to Z →

Career timeline

  1. 1941Born
  2. 1972Sanford and Son (writer, 1972) On screen
  3. 1974Good Times (writer, 1974) On screen
  4. 1977The Richard Pryor Show (head writer, 1977) On screen
  5. 1978The Buddy Holly Story (Sam Cooke, 1978) On screen
  6. 1990In Living Color (writer; head writer in its first year, 1990–1994) On screen
  7. 1993Race (1993) Album
  8. 1994Master Piece (1994) Album
  9. 2000Bamboozled (Junebug, 2000) On screen
  10. 2001Black People Built the Pyramids (2001, TV) Special
  11. 2003Chappelle's Show (Negrodamus; writer, 2003) On screen
  12. 2004Analyzing White America (2004, Shout! Factory DVD) Special
  13. 2004Judge Mooney (star and writer, 2004) On screen
  14. 2006Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra (2006, DVD) Special
  15. 2007Black Is the New White (memoir, 2007) Book
  16. 2010It's the End of the World (2010, DVD) Special
  17. 2012The Godfather of Comedy (2012, TV) Special
  18. 2021Died

Questions about Paul Mooney

What stand-up specials has Paul Mooney released?

Black People Built the Pyramids, Analyzing White America, Know Your History: Jesus Is Black; So Was Cleopatra, It's the End of the World and The Godfather of Comedy.

What podcast do they host?

Black Is the New White.

What TV shows and films are they in?

Chappelle's Show, In Living Color, The Richard Pryor Show, Sanford and Son, Good Times and Judge Mooney, among 8 credits.

Where did they get their start?

The Comedy Store (one of the 1970s generation Mitzi Shore picked) and In Living Color (writer, its first year).

Who are some comedians like them?

Tommy Davidson (also came through In Living Color), Jim Carrey (also came through In Living Color), Damon Wayans (also came through In Living Color), Jamie Foxx (also came through In Living Color) and Keenen Ivory Wayans (also came through In Living Color).

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.

Their SUCDb record →

Sources

Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026