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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 4, 1941
- May 19, 2021 (aged 79)
- Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
- Actor and writer
- 16 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Known for
What are Paul Mooney's films like?
Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 6
A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 0 · Dark 2
Grounded 6 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 7 · Intense 1
Steady 3 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 5
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 2
Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Tricksteras Richard Pryor in Richard Pryor... Here and Now (1983)
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet3
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Paul Mooney's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- Chappelle's Show (2003) · actor · free
- Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) · writer · free
- Richard Pryor... Here and Now (1983) · actor, writer · free
- Hollywood Shuffle (1987) · actor · free
- Good Times (1974) · actor · free
- Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) · writer · free
- Meet the Blacks (2016) · actor · free
- Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All-Star Comedy Jam - Live from Dallas (2010) · actor · free
- Call Me Claus (2001) · writer · free
Subscription and free streaming for Paul Mooney's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
34 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Meet the Blacks(2016)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
DTLA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Paul Mooney: The Godfather of Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Paul Mooney: It's the End of the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Sombra azul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Homie Spumoni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Chappelle's Show(2003)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Paul Mooney: Analyzing White America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Call Me Claus(2001)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all filmsThe Old Settler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Bamboozled(2000)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
High Freakquency (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
The Larry Sanders Show(1992)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Debbie Allen Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Hollywood Shuffle(1987)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Bustin' Loose(1981)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
The Buddy Holly Story(1978)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Freeman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Which Way Is Up?(1977)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Richard Pryor Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Saturday Night Live(1975)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Carter's Army (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Good Times(1974)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Sanford and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Career shape
Star power in the 84th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 33 titles from 1972 to 2016; peak year 1982.
Biggest box office
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)
Highest rated
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)
Most popular right now
Bamboozled (2000)
Film career
Peak 1982 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1977Screen debut· Which Way Is Up?
- 2003Career best· Chappelle's Show
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Paul Mooney's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th4
Shape of the crowd
9 of their 16 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser9
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Paul Mooney work with?
People who share at least 2 of Paul Mooney's MovieCove titles; Richard Pryor shares the most, 4.
- Richard PryorShared titles: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), Richard Pryor... Here and Now (1983), Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), The Richard Pryor Special? (1977)See all 4 shared titles with Richard Pryor
- Rocco UrbisciShared titles: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), The Richard Pryor Special? (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Rocco Urbisci