Comedian and former Late Show host John Mulrooney dies at 67

May 11, 2026 by bilal

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Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mulrooney came up through the gritty, competitive comedy scene of the early 1980s, cutting his teeth at legendary clubs like Dangerfield’s and Sheepshead Bay before making his mark in Hollywood at The Improv and The Laugh Factory. By the late ’80s, he had become a familiar face on television — most notably in 1987, when he briefly replaced Joan Rivers as host of The Late Show.

His career spanned nearly every corner of entertainment. Mulrooney appeared on shows including Comic Strip Live, Comedy Tonight, Great Balls of Fire!, An Evening at the Improv, and Andrew Dice Clay and His Gang Live! The Valentine’s Day Massacre. He competed on Star Search and The New Hollywood Squares, guest-starred on Ellen and The Good Life, and even hosted Fox’s King of the Mountain and The Pat Sajak Show. He also created and starred in the short-lived Comedy Central sitcom Midtown North.

After returning to New York, Mulrooney reinvented himself once again — this time as a radio powerhouse, hosting The John and Abbey Show on 105.1 “The Buzz,” then co-hosting the hugely popular Wolf and Mulrooney in the Morning alongside Bob “The Wolf” Wohlfeld on WPYX. Later stops included WPDH and iHeartRadio, where his unmistakable voice remained a staple of East Coast airwaves.

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