Born and raised in Brooklyn, Mulrooney built his reputation as a sharp and fearless stand-up comic. He performed at famous comedy venues such as The Improv, The Comedy Store, The Comic Strip and The Laugh Factory, earning respect from fellow comedians for his ability to connect with audiences.
Comedian Andrew Dice Clay remembered Mulrooney as a master of crowd work, long before it became popular. In a tribute shared on Instagram, Clay recalled watching Mulrooney perform at Pips Comedy Club in Brooklyn, where both men were starting out.
“Crowd work was his thing long before it became a thing,” Clay wrote, praising Mulrooney’s natural talent and stage presence.
Mulrooney once compared his approach to comedy to cooking. “I look at the audience as a spice rack,” he said in a 2010 interview. “I know I’m gonna make a great meal; I’m just not sure of the ingredients yet.”
Adam Sandler also spoke highly of Mulrooney, once telling The Joe Rogan Experience that he was a comedian “you didn’t want to go after” on stage. Sandler said Mulrooney could “destroy a room” with his loose and confident style.
Although Mulrooney never reached the same level of fame as some of his peers, Clay said his talent was undeniable. “Not everybody becomes a superstar,” he wrote. “John was a great, great comedian.”
Mulrooney’s career went beyond stand-up. In the early 1980s, he appeared on the TV show Comedy Tonight, later writing and producing original material for 165 episodes. He also competed on Star Search, hosted by Ed McMahon, and was hired as a writer despite losing the competition.
In 1987, Mulrooney replaced Joan Rivers as host of Fox’s The Late Show, though the program was canceled after a few months. He also guest-hosted The Pat Sajak Show and later hosted Comic Strip: Live, which aired nationally on Fox for one year.
Mulrooney appeared on HBO, Showtime, A&E and Comedy Central, and acted in films, including Great Balls of Fire, where he played a talk show host opposite Dennis Quaid.
Alongside comedy and television, Mulrooney had a successful radio career. In the late 1990s, he co-hosted a morning show in Albany before later hosting “Mulrooney in the Morning” on iHeartRadio.
At age 52, Mulrooney took on a new role by joining the Coxsackie Police Department. He served until 2024, balancing law enforcement with his entertainment career. His experiences as a small-town police officer even inspired a reality show pilot titled Comedy Cop.
Visitation will be held at Casey Funeral Home in Staten Island on January 4 from 2 to 6 p.m. His funeral will take place at the Church of the Holy Family in New York on January 5 at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John Mulrooney’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Tags:
News
