Former ‘Late Show’ Host Dies Suddenly at 67

The comedy world lost one of its brightest lights last week with the passing of John Mulrooney. 

People reports that Mulrooney, a stand-up comedian, radio host, and successor to Joan Rivers’s chair on The Late Show following her departure in 1987, died suddenly at his home in Coxsackie, New York, on Monday, December 29th.

Murlooney’s death was initially reported by his local paper, the Albany Times-Union, on December 31st. No immediate cause of death was given.

Steve Van Zandt, the iconic member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band who famously played Tony Soprano’s right-hand man Silvio Dante on The Sopranos, was a longtime friend of Mulrooney’s and told the Times-Union he was “stunned” to hear the news.

Mulrooney and Van Zandt got to know each other years ago when they both began hosting morning radio shows. In addition to having offices near each other, they often had breakfast together and have remained tight.

“To talk to somebody less than two weeks ago, and he had mentioned what he was doing for Christmas, and he was looking forward to 2026 because he had a pretty full calendar,” Van Zandt said.  

Mulrooney, who was born in Brooklyn, launched his career as a stand-up on the New York City comedy scene in the late 1970s, where he became a regular face at such iconic clubs as Catch a Rising Star, the Comic Strip, the Improv and Dangerfield’s. He later relocated to Los Angeles and became well-known on the comedy circuit there, too.

Mulrooney’s easy charm soon led to a career on television, where he became part of the rotating lineup of hosts of The Late Show following Joan Rivers’ departure.

As People recounted, Mulrooney’s ease in front of a crowd could be intimidating to his fellow stand-ups. In 2024, Adam Sandler spoke about coming up alongside him and explaining how he never wanted to follow Mulrooney because he “would just destroy a room. He was so loose and would dominate the room, and then they'd bring you up, and you're like, ‘Oh, goodness gracious.’”

“It’s all so unexpected,” Van Zandt admitted. “It’s still sinking in.”