Comedian Patrice O'Neal died yesterday morning as a result of a stroke that he suffered in October. With plenty of projects under his belt, including roles on The Chappelle Show and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, cameos in The Roast of Charlie Sheen and Arrested Development, and frequent guest spots on the Opie and Anthony Show, O'Neal entertained the masses with his brutally funny comedy.
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A statement was released on his website:
“It is with terrible sadness we must report that Patrice O'Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00am due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19. Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo; his step daughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia. The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family's request for privacy at this difficult time. Thank you.”
O'Neal made an impact on so many fans of comedy and on the friends that he kept. Jim Norton, Louis C.K., Colin Quinn, Jim Florentine, Dave Attell, Joe DeRosa, Bob Kelly, Bill Burr, and Amy Schumer were among some of the great comics that came to pay tribute on today's Opie and Anthony, titled “Remembering Patrice.”
Louis CK said that, “Patrice would find the cracks in little things which was why he was so funny.”
Dave Attell added, “It's a shock and it's hard to process. It's a horrible loss.”
Comedian Bill Burr also mentioned, “He was more than one of a kind.” Colin Quinn of course jumped in and said he took that line from his Twitter.
Even though comics can be thick skinned, it was completely touching. Many came to tell stories, trade laughs, and comfort each other through comedy and there is no doubt that O'Neal would approve. The outpouring of messages on comedy community shows just what a great guy and great talent he was. O'Neal will be missed.
Ali Lerman knows much about comedy, basketball, and celebrating Wu-Tang Wednesday. She’s been writing for sixteen years and still calls her mom with grammatical questions.