Background Paul Mooney was born in Louisiana, and later grew up in Oakland, California. Mooney became a ringmaster with the Charles Gody Circus. During his stint as ringmaster, he always found himself writing comedy and telling jokes, which would later help Mooney land his first professional work as a writer for Richard Pryor. [edit] Career [edit] Early years Paul Mooney wrote many of Richard Pryor's routines for his appearance on Saturday Night Live