After comedy legend Paul Mooney passed away earlier today at 79, his friend and Chappelle’s Show co-star Dave Chappelle shared how he’ll be remembering him.
TMZ caught up with Chappelle at the Soho Grand Hotel in New York hours after the comedian passed, asking him if he had any words to share about Mooney—who was both a writer for the show and appeared in numerous popular skits during its run, including “Ask a Black Dude” and “Mooney on Movies.”
“I want to shout out every comedian on Earth,” Dave said. “One of the best that ever did it passed away today. His legacy will live forever. He’s one of the first Black people ever in the Writer’s Guild. Paul Mooney will be sorely missed and wildly remembered.”
Mooney also appeared as the iconic skit character “Negrodamus,” answering questions from mainly white people as an ode to a certain French astrologer. But his work went fat beyond Chappelle, as he also wrote for Saturday Night Live, starred as musician Sam Cooke in the Oscar-winning 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story, and wrote for Richard Pryor back in the day.
Dave was one of many who’ve been singing Mooney’s praises today, including Freddie Gibbs, Bill Burr, and Viola Davis, who remembers the actor as “both funny and poignant.” Read what Mooney’s co-stars, friends, and fans had to say about him below.
