“I could go out and talk about President Clinton... or some issue, but people will be on either side. But everyone eats. It's the international language, like Esperanto.”

American stand-up comedian, actor, and Broadway performer

John Paul Pinette was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and Broadway performer. He came to prominence through the comedy club circuit in the 1980s and also worked in film and television. He was known for a performance style that mixed stand-up with character impressions and song. His routines included voices and impersonations such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Gollum, Marlon Brando, and Hervé Villechaize, along with regional accents, and he sometimes sang pieces like “Over the Rainbow,” “Will You Be There,” and “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.”