Patrice O'Neal life and biography

Patrice O'Neal was an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, and actor. He was known for his cutting, often confrontational crowd work during which he often played couples against each other. He was a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Patrice got his first real taste of stand-up at a place called Estelle's in Boston. He was heckling a comic, and the comic suggested maybe Patrice thought he could do better. Patrice did and the following week he went on stage at Estelle's and brought down the house. From there he went on to work at the Comedy Connection, then moved to working at most of the clubs in and around Boston, New England, and New York.

The Boston Globe said, "It is a hilarious piece made all the more so by the contradiction between O'Neal's very visible presence and that of the young white girl he is playing."
When asked to whom he aspired, Patrice mentioned only two names: George Carlin and Richard Pryor.

Carlin for his distinct point of view and universal appeal; Pryor for his honesty, vulnerability and personal revelation. Patrice appeared on "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien" three times and was a regular on the very popular, Comedy Central's "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn." He also performed stand-up at the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs and the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Additionally Patrice guest starred on numerous TV shows including FOX's critically acclaimed "Arrested Development" and NBC's "The Office." He was also a series regular on FOX's drama, "The Jury." You could hear him voicing the animated shows "Shorties Watchin' Shorties" on Comedy Central and "O'Grady High" on "Noggin." Patrice could also be seen in the films "The 25th Hour" directed by Spike Lee, "In The Cut" with Meg Ryan and "Head Of State" with Chris Rock.

Patrice also performed half-hour specials on both Showtime and Comedy Central.

On October 26, 2011, it was announced on The Opie and Anthony Show that O'Neal, a diabetic, had suffered a stroke on October 19.

On November 29, 2001 Patrice died. He was 41.

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