John Mulrooney, a Brooklyn, New York-born stand-up comedian who became a familiar face on late-night television and later served as a police officer while continuing his comedy career, has died at 67.
Mulrooney died suddenly at his home in Coxsackie, New York, on Monday, December 29, 2025. No cause of death was given.
Born on August 27, 1958, Mulrooney grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood and attended Brooklyn Technical High School. He competed in Golden Gloves boxing before finding his calling in comedy, starting his stand-up career in the early 1980s at Pips nightclub in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
From those early club performances, Mulrooney built a career that spanned four decades. He performed at New York’s most iconic comedy venues, including Comic Strip Live, The Improv, The Laugh Factory, and Dangerfield’s, developing a reputation for his energetic stage presence and ability to work a crowd.
His talent caught the attention of cable networks during comedy’s boom years. Mulrooney performed on HBO and Showtime specials and appeared on the PBS program Comedy Tonight. These televised performances helped establish him as a recognizable figure in the national comedy scene during the 1980s and 1990s.
Mulrooney’s television career expanded beyond stand-up performances. He was among the comedians who stepped in to host Fox network’s The Late Show in 1987 after Joan Rivers was fired from the program. He also served as a guest host for The Pat Sajak Show on CBS, demonstrating his versatility in front of the camera.
In the late 1980s, he hosted Comic Strip Live on the Fox network, bringing the energy of live comedy club performances to television audiences nationwide. The show featured stand-up acts filmed before live audiences and helped showcase emerging comedy talent.
Mulrooney appeared on several other television programs, including Star Search, where he competed before eventually joining the show’s writing staff. In 1994, he performed on a Valentine’s Day pay-per-view special with fellow Brooklyn comedian Andrew Dice Clay, who had also started his career at Pips nightclub in Sheepshead Bay.
His acting credits included a role in the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire. Throughout his career, Mulrooney performed for U.S. troops overseas on multiple occasions.
When television opportunities shifted, Mulrooney found a new platform in radio. He hosted morning and afternoon shows in several markets, including New York City, Cleveland, and Albany, New York. His radio work included programs on WPYX in Albany and WPDH in Poughkeepsie, as well as shows for iHeartRadio.
Radio allowed Mulrooney to connect with audiences daily, mixing observational humor with caller interaction in a format that suited his conversational style and quick wit. His voice became familiar to listeners across multiple markets who might never have seen his stand-up performances.
In an unexpected career turn, Mulrooney joined the Coxsackie Police Department in 2010 at age 52, working as a police officer while continuing to perform. He served with the department through 2024, balancing his duties in law enforcement with his entertainment work.
His dual career as a comedian and a police officer made him a sought-after performer at fundraisers for police and fire departments across the country, where he used his comedy to support first responders and their communities.
Fellow comedian Andrew Dice Clay, who also started his career at Pips nightclub in Brooklyn, paid tribute to Mulrooney on social media, reflecting on their shared Brooklyn roots and time at Pips nightclub. “He never gave up, he never stopped trying, which is what it’s all about in my book,” Clay wrote. “Not everybody climbs to the top, and not everybody becomes a superstar. John was a great, great comedian.”
Adam Sandler, another comedian who came up in the New York club scene, recalled Mulrooney’s commanding stage presence and ability to control a room during performances.
Mulrooney’s family remembered him for more than his professional accomplishments. “John Mulrooney will be remembered as much for being a loyal friend to countless people as for the laughter he brought to a multitude of strangers,” his family said. “His voice, his stories and his spirit will continue to echo in the lives of those he touched.”
Donations in his memory can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.