John Pinette

John Pinette
Pinette in 2010
Born
John Paul Pinette

(1964-03-23)March 23, 1964
DiedApril 5, 2014(2014-04-05) (aged 50)
Resting placeSts. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Comedy career
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • film
GenreObservational comedy
Subjects
  • Impressions
  • self-deprecation
  • everyday life
  • obesity
  • world travel
  • food

John Paul Pinette (/pɪˈnɛt/ pi-NET; March 23, 1964 – April 5, 2014) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and Broadway performer. He toured the comedy club circuit beginning in the 1980s and appeared in cinema and on television. Besides stand-up, Pinette did various impressions, among them Michael Jackson, The Chipmunks, Elvis Presley, Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, Hervé Villechaize (Tattoo from Fantasy Island), an Ewok, actor Marlon Brando (notably Brando's role in The Godfather), as well as a range of regional accents. He occasionally sang in his stand-up routines, working in songs such as "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, "Will You Be There" from Free Willy, and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".