Paul Mooney

Acting

Paul Mooney

Born August 4, 1941 · Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Died May 19, 2021 · aged 79

Paul Gladney, better known by the stage name Paul Mooney, was an American comedian, writer, social critic, and television and film actor. He is best known as a writer for comedian Richard Pryor, playing singer Sam Cooke in The Buddy Holly Story and Junebug in Bamboozled, and his appearances on Chappelle's Show.

Known For

Meet the BlacksMeet the Blacks · 2016
Meet the Blacks
★ 4.72016
MovieComedyHorror
As Carl Black gets the opportunity to move his family out of Chicago in hope of a better life, their arrival in Beverly Hills is timed with that city's annual purge, where all crime is legal for twelve hours.
BamboozledBamboozled · 2000
Bamboozled
★ 6.32000
MovieComedyDrama
Frustrated when network brass reject his sitcom idea, producer Pierre Delacroix pitches the worst idea he can think of in an attempt to get fired: a 21st century minstrel show. The network not only airs it, but it becomes a smash hit.
Homie SpumoniHomie Spumoni · 2006
Homie Spumoni
★ 5.02006
MovieComedy
All his life, African-American Renato has been raised in an Italian-American family. Completely unaware that he is Black, his life is upended when his birth parents materialize, causing Renato to examine what he true heritage is.
Hollywood ShuffleHollywood Shuffle · 1987
Hollywood Shuffle
★ 6.51987
MovieComedy
Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role in the regrettably titled exploitation film "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge." When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he has a series of conflicted dreams satirizing African-American stereotypes in Hollywood, and must reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.
Call Me ClausCall Me Claus · 2001
Call Me Claus
★ 5.72001
MovieTV MovieFamily
When Lucy Cullins, a successful but cranky producer at a home shopping network hires an actor named Nick to play Santa Claus on the network, she gets more than she bargained for.
Bustin' LooseBustin' Loose · 1981
Bustin' Loose
★ 6.21981
MovieComedyDrama
After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country.
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is CallingJo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling · 1986
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
★ 6.51986
MovieDramaComedy
Although Jo Jo Dancer has achieved success as a stand-up comedian, he hasn't found happiness. After receiving severe burns in a narcotics-related incident, Jo Jo remains in a coma, and, while in this state, he looks back on his life. Drifting off into memories of his troubled childhood, Jo Jo revisits his youth, recalling his eventual rise to fame and the decadence that followed. As he considers his existence, he must decide if he wants to go on living or not.
The Buddy Holly StoryThe Buddy Holly Story · 1978
The Buddy Holly Story
★ 7.11978
MovieDramaMusic
A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly, who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.

Filmography

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The Old SettlerThe Old Settler · 2001
The Old Settler
★ 3.82001
MovieDramaRomance
The Old Settler is the story of two middle-aged sisters, Elizabeth and Quilly, who share an apartment in Harlem in 1943. The sisters quarrel amiably, but they share a wounded history that becomes revealed as the tale unfolds. An earnest but unworldly young man named Husband travels up from the South to board with the sisters while he searches for his beloved Lou Bessie, who left their small town a few years back to find a new life. Husband would like to bring Lou Bessie back home, but she's enamored with the excitement of the city, and her plans are more complicated. In time, Elizabeth and Husband begin a courtship that may or may not overcome their considerable age difference, while Quilly reacts disapprovingly.

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