10 Funniest People of All-time

I have been watching comedians and comedy productions, whether theatrical or film-based, for nearly four decades and I like to think of myself as fairly knowledgeable when it comes to some of the funniest people to ever live. 

Having said that, I must admit that when I sat down to write this column, I had a tougher time selecting the names for this list than my wife Theresa did giving birth to our son Emmanuel just a little over three years ago. 

Okay, okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it was excruciating nonetheless coming up with the 10 funniest people to ever live. Of course this is strictly one man’s opinion, but here’s my top 10 at any rate.

1. Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor earned my number one spot, and not because he recently passed away and is being lauded by many in the media for his comedic genius. Pryor gets the number one spot simply because he was the funniest person I have ever seen in my entire life. 

From the outlandish standup routines to the laugh-a-minute movies he made, Pryor was born to make people laugh. His recent passing only served to remind the world that, although many have tried to duplicate him, there will never, ever be another Richard Pryor.

2. Jerry Lewis
What can I say about Jerry Lewis except that the man could probably attend a funeral and have the entire procession in stitches by the time he left (not that anything is funny about dying mind). The numerous films that he made with straight man Dean Martin are the stuff of legend. Even after the pair split up, Lewis continued to make audiences across America double over in laghter. His 50-plus years in the business are a testament to his longevity and loveability. I initially didn’t think Lewis would rank this high, but after some serious soul-searching, this is where he ended up.