Patrice O'Neal, Actor and Comedian Revered by Fellow Comics
In addition to his stand-up, O'Neal worked regular in both movies and television — including roles on The Office, Arrested Development and Chappelle's Show.
Patrice O’Neal, a standup comedian and actor, died November 29, 2011, in New York City. He was 41.
According to news reports, O’Neal, who was diabetic, died from complications following a stroke suffered on October 19.
Physically imposing, garrulous, insightful and unafraid of controversial subject matter, O'Neal was a favorite among his fellow stand-ups.
He got his start in comedy in Boston during the 1990s, and came to attention on television as a frequent guest on the Comedy Central series Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn.
That led to other TV work, including such shows as The Office, Arrested Development, Chappelle’s Show and The Jury.
O’Neal’s feature film credits included 25th Hour, Head of State, In the Cut, Scary Movie 4 and Furry Vengeance.
In addition, he was regular performer on the Opie & Anthony satellite radio show, a frequent guest on talk shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres, and had his own Comedy Central special, Elephant in the Room, which aired in February 2011.
His last TV appearance came in September 2011, as part of the Comedy Central roast of Charlie Sheen.
He is survived by his wife, a stepdaughter, a sister and his mother.
Additional coverage of his passing is available at: