Charlie Barnett (comedian) explained

Charles Barnett (September 23, 1954 – March 16, 1996) was an American comedian and actor.^[1]

Life and career

Barnett was born in Bluefield, West Virginia. He first made a name for himself in the late 1970s and early 1980s, performing several shows of raunchy comedy a day at outdoor parks in New York City, most notably in Washington Square Park. In September 1980, Barnett auditioned for Saturday Night Live. Producer Jean Doumanian was ready to hire him; however, Barnett was self-conscious about his poor reading skills and he skipped a follow-up reading. His spot in the cast was ultimately given to Eddie Murphy.^{[2] [3]}

Barnett was reportedly envious and resentful of Murphy for several years, although in 1983 he told Jet Magazine: "Now that I'm making it, I watch Saturday Night Live every Saturday."^[4]

Barnett contracted HIV as a result of heroin abuse and died from AIDS on March 16, 1996.^[5]

Select filmography

• They Bite (1996)
• Mondo New York (1988)
• Nobody's Fool (1986)
• Beer (1985)
• My Man Adam (1985)
• T.J. Hooker (1985)^[6]
• Miami Vice (1984–1987)
• D.C. Cab (1983)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Timing Is… Everything: The Story Of Charlie Barnett. March 21, 2012. McKeon. Conor. Splitsider. December 1, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120630071816/http://splitsider.com/2012/03/timing-is-everything-the-story-of-charlie-barnett/. June 30, 2012. dead.
2. Rubber-Faced and Razor-Tongued, Street Comedian Charlie Barnett Steps Up to the Silver Screen. People. November 14, 1983. December 1, 2012.
3. Web site: John Witherspoon. Nathan. Rabin. The A.V. Club. 16 March 2012 .
4. 'D.C. Cab' Rolls with MR. T and High-Speed Cast. Jet. December 19, 1983. December 28, 2013.
5. Web site: Timing is everything . . . The story of Charlie Barnett. October 17, 2024.
6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0715465/?ref_=ttep_ep13 T.J. Hooker, "The Chicago Connection", May 4, 1985