Richard Pryor Biography
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was a respected American comedian, actor, and also author, understood for his bold humor and also advanced spirit. Born upon December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor lived a turbulent very early life, maturing in a whorehouse run by his grandma. As a child, he withstood misuse and observed firsthand the struggles of life in a poverty-stricken location. These experiences later fueled much of the subject he made use of in his comical regimens, presenting extreme truths with the lens of humor.
By the age of 14, Pryor was already showing a natural propensity for performance, finding his talent for funny while carrying out in college plays. Understanding his possibility, he left of high school and also employed in the United States Army, where he offered from 1958-1960. Following his discharge, Pryor sharpened his funny abilities in numerous bars and also made his very first couple of tv appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and also other range programs of the 1960s.
Throughout the 1970s, Pryor's job skyrocketed as he released countless groundbreaking funny cds, including "That N **** r's Crazy" (1974) and also "Is It Something I Said?" (1975). He tackled debatable topics such as race, sexuality, and also substance abuse, leading the way for future comics to challenge societal standards with funny. Pryor's fearlessness as well as sincerity gained him 5 Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Recording throughout his career.
Pryor additionally ventured into acting, starring in preferred films like "Lady Sings the Blues" (1972), "Silver Streak" (1976), as well as "Stir Crazy" (1980), where he usually teamed up with his friend and fellow comic
Gene Wilder. In the 1977 film "Blue Collar," Pryor showcased his versatility as a performer by taking on an extra significant role.
Throughout his life, Pryor dealt with drug dependency, as well as in 1980, he almost died from severe burns after setting himself ablaze whilst high up on drug. His stressful experience led him to include his battle with dependency right into his comedy, using wit as a device for healing and self-reflection.
In the 1980s, Pryor remained to act in movies such as "Superman III" (1983) as well as "Brewster's Millions" (1985) while also creating and starring in the brief television collection "The Richard Pryor Show" (1977). In 1986, Pryor was identified with numerous sclerosis, which noted the start of a progressive decrease in his health as well as profession.
In spite of his disease, Pryor continued to execute stand-up and appear in movies until the late 1990s. By the very early 2000s, Pryor found himself wheelchair-bound, properly ending his job. Richard Pryor passed away from a cardiovascular disease on December 10, 2005, at the age of 65.
His heritage survives with the numerous comics he motivated, such as
Eddie Murphy,
Chris Rock, and also Dave Chappelle. Pryor's valiancy in dealing with taboo subjects and his unrivaled present for storytelling have sealed him as one of the most prominent comedians of all time.
Our collection contains 39 quotes who is written / told by Richard.
Related authors: Margaret Smith (Comedian), Pauly Shore (Comedian), Eddie Murphy (Comedian), Gene Wilder (Actor), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Phil Hartman (Actor), Chris Rock (Comedian), Bill Hicks (Comedian)
Filmography:
- 1967 The Busy Body (Comedy)
- 1968 Wild in the Streets (Comedy, Drama, Music)
- 1969 The Young Lawyers (Drama, TV Movie)
- 1970 Carter's Army (War, TV Movie)
- 1971 You've Got To Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat (Comedy, Drama)
- 1971 Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' (Comedy)
- 1971 Dynamite Chicken (Comedy)
- 1972 Lady Sings the Blues (Drama, Music, Romance)
- 1973 The Mack (Drama)
- 1973 Hit! (Drama, Action, Crime)
- 1973 Some Call It Loving (Drama)
- 1973 Wattstax (Music, Documentary)
- 1974 Uptown Saturday Night (Comedy)
- 1975 AdiĆ³s Amigo (Western, Action, Comedy)
- 1976 The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (Comedy)
- 1976 Silver Streak (Comedy, Crime, Romance, Thriller)
- 1977 Which Way Is Up? (Comedy)
- 1977 The Complete Richard Pryor Roast (Comedy)
- 1977 The Richard Pryor Special?
- 1977 Greased Lightning (Action, Comedy, Drama)
- 1978 Blue Collar (Drama, Crime)
- 1978 The Wiz (Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Music)
- 1978 California Suite (Comedy, Drama, Romance)
- 1979 Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (Comedy)
- 1980 Wholly Moses (Comedy)
- 1980 Stir Crazy (Comedy)
- 1980 In God We Tru$t (Comedy)
- 1981 Bustin' Loose (Comedy, Drama)
- 1982 Some Kind of Hero (Comedy, Drama)
- 1982 Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (Comedy)
- 1982 The Toy (Comedy, Family)
- 1983 Richard Pryor: Here and Now (Comedy)
- 1983 Superman III (Comedy, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure)
- 1983 Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (Music)
- 1985 Brewster's Millions (Comedy)
- 1986 Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (Drama, Comedy)
- 1986 TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines (Comedy)
- 1987 Critical Condition (Comedy)
- 1988 Moving (Comedy)
- 1989 Harlem Nights (Comedy, Crime, Drama)
- 1989 See No Evil, Hear No Evil (Comedy, Crime)
- 1991 Another You (Comedy)
- 1991 The Three Muscatels (Comedy)
- 1994 But... Seriously (Documentary)
- 1997 Blacks and Jews (Documentary)
- 1997 Lost Highway (Drama, Thriller, Mystery)
- 1998 Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh? (Documentary, Comedy)
- 2003 Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (Comedy, Documentary)
- 2006 The N Word (Documentary)
- 2007 Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s (Comedy, Documentary)
- 2008 Black and White Trypps Number Four
- 2013 Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (Documentary)
- 2014 Richard Pryor: Icon (Documentary)
- 2020 The Last Days of Richard Pryor (Documentary)
- 2022 The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up (Comedy, Documentary)