John Mulrooney, a stand-up comedian, actor and late-night TV host, has died aged 67.
The performer died at his home in Coxsackie, New York, on December 29, however a cause of death is yet to be publicly released.
His official obituary from Casey Funeral Home in Staten Island, New York, called Mulrooney, who once hosted the weekly Fox series Comic Strip Live and The Late Show, a ‘beloved stand-up comedian, dedicated public servant, and proud patriot whose life was defined by service, laughter, and an unwavering devotion to the people he loved’.
Born in Brooklyn in 1958, Mulrooney began trying out stand-up at the famous Pips comedy club in the early 1970s.
After then competing on the talent competition show Star Search he then had his big break. While he didn’t win the contest, Mulrooney was offered a job in its writer’s room – which then led to him securing stand-up sets at comedy clubs across New York.
The comedian then appeared on comedy series including Comedy Tonight and An Evening at the Improv.
Then, following Joan Rivers departure as the host of The Late Show in 1987, Mulrooney was considered a temporary replacement – however the job went to Arsenio Hall.
He then hosted Comic Strip Live weekly for a year from 1989.
However, he went on to guest host The Pat Sajak Show on CBS, and feature on series including Ellen, The Good Life, Hardball, and The New Hollywood Squares.
He also appeared in the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire alongside Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder and Alec Baldwin.
In 1994 Mulrooney wrote and starred in two seasons of a sitcom titled Midtown North, which aired on Comedy Central.
However, Mulrooney eventually left Hollywood and moved back home to upstate New York in 1994 to begin a career in radio.
In more recent years he also hosted various radio programmes for iHeartRadio in New York.
He also performed several times for U.S. troops overseas, which his family said ‘were amongst his proudest moments, allowing him to give back to the men and women serving far from home and to bring moments of laughter and relief in challenging environments’.
In an interview on the Who’s Your Band podcast, Mulrooney once recalled falling in love with stand-up.
‘When I got on stage and it was at Pips for the very first time to do comedy – it was like being struck with lightning,’ he said.
‘I will never forget it. And I suddenly knew why I was doing what I was doing. I just loved it, and nothing was gonna stop me. Nothing was going to get in my way.’
In 2010 Mulrooney then changed careers and became a police officer, serving with the Coxsackie Police Department until 2024.
After news of his death broke, comedian Andrew Dice Clay paid tribute to Mulrooney – who had once supported him on comedy shows.
‘I remember the first time I saw John Mulrooney…Pips Comedy Club in Brooklyn,’ he posted on Instagram.
‘He was really amazing and everybody thought he would become a really, really big star. Johnny was tall, good looking and an ex-boxer…he also had all the ingredients…the discipline to get up there every night, the drive, the want and willing to go through whatever it had to be to claw his way to the top.
‘He never gave up and never stopped trying, which is what it’s all about in my book. Not everybody climbs to the top, and not everybody becomes a superstar.
‘John was a great, great comedian, and a pilot, a boxer, and he became a police officer on top of doing stand-up comedy. John, you accomplished a lot!!!’
The comedian’s obituary also added that Mulrooney would be remembered ‘as much for being a loyal friend to countless people as for the laughter he brought to a multitude of strangers’.
‘His voice, his stories, and his spirit will continue to echo in the lives of those he touched.’
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