Patrice O'Neal (Class of 1988) - Comedian

Radio personality and actor

What is Patrice O'Neal (Class of 1988) - Comedian known for?

Patrice O'Neal, a notable alumni of West Roxbury High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, was a renowned American comedian, radio personality, and actor. Born on December 7, 1969, in New York City, Patrice Lumumba Malcolm O'Neal was known for his engaging stand-up comedy routines and his regular guest appearances on talk shows like Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and the radio show Opie and Anthony.

His comedy career began in 1992 and revolved around interacting with the audience, deconstructive analysis, and occasionally confrontational points of view. From 2006 to 2008, he presented The Black Phillip Show on XM Satellite Radio. O'Neal's only stand-up comedy special, Elephant in the Room (2011), was released nine months before his untimely death at the age of 41 due to a stroke caused by type 2 diabetes.

Born to a mother who named him after Patrice Lumumba, the leader of the Congolese independence movement, and the African-American human rights activist Malcolm X, O'Neal was raised in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. He had a successful football career in high school, even winning a state championship in his senior year. Despite the offer of a sports scholarship at Northeastern University, O'Neal chose to study performing arts with a major in theater studies, fueling his budding interest in comedy.

O'Neal began his comedy journey in October 1992 at Estelle's in Boston. His career took him from Boston to New York City, and then to Los Angeles. Despite hurdles and the occasional setback, O'Neal always stuck to his unique, confrontational style of comedy, earning the respect of his peers and fans alike.

For more on Patrice's life and career, visit his official website here.