Richard Pryor Biography (1940-)

Full name, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor; born December 1, 1940, in Peoria, IL; son of Leroy (a bartender) and Gertrude (maiden name, Thomas) Pryor; married Patricia Price, 1960 (divorced); married Shelley Bonus, 1967 (divorced, 1969); married Deborah McGuire, 1977 (divorced, 1979); married JenniferLee (an actress and model), 1981 (divorced, 1982); married Flynn BeLaine (anactress, producer, and writer), October, 1986 (divorced, 1987); remarried Flynn BeLaine, April 1, 1990; remarried Jennifer Lee, June, 2001; children: (first marriage) Elizabeth Ann, Richard; (second marriage) Rain, Stephen Michael,Kelsey; (with Geraldine Mason) Franklin Matthew Mason; Renee, Ann. Addresses: Manager: Edward Astrin, 16633 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1450, Encino, CA91436.; Office: Indigo Productions, c/o Jennifer Lee, 4900 Valjean Ave., Encino, CA 91436-1336.; Agent: c/o Tri-Star Pictures, 3400 Riverside Dr., Burbank, CA 91505.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Comedian, actor, writer
Birth Details
December 1, 1940
Peoria, Illinois, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • Whittaker, The Busy Body, PER, 1967
  • Stanley X, Wild in the Streets, American International Pictures, 1968
  • Himself, The Phynx, Warner Bros., 1970
  • Wino, You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat, J.E.R., 1971
  • Himself, Dynamite Chicken, Seymour Borde and Associates, 1971
  • Piano man, Lady Sings the Blues, Paramount, 1972
  • Mike Willmer, Hit!, Paramount, 1973
  • Himself, Wattstax, Columbia, 1973
  • Jeff, Some Call It Loving, Cine Globe, 1973
  • Slim, The Mack (also known as The Mack and His Pack), Cinerama, 1973
  • Sharp Eye Washington, Uptown Saturday Night, Warner Bros., 1974
  • Sam Spade, Adios Amigo, Atlas, 1975
  • Charlie Snow, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings,Universal, 1976
  • Daddy Rich, Car Wash, Universal, 1976
  • Grover Muldoon, Silver Streak, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
  • Wendell Scott, Greased Lightning, Warner Bros., 1977
  • Leroy Jones, Rufus Jones, and Reverend Lenox Thomas, Which Way Is Up?, Universal, 1977
  • Zeke Brown, Blue Collar, Universal, 1978
  • The Wiz/Herman Smith, The Wiz, Universal, 1978
  • Dr. Chauncey Gump, California Suite (also known as Neil Simon'sCalifornia Suite), Columbia, 1978
  • Richard Pryor-Live in Concert (concert film), 1979
  • Balloon vendor, The Muppet Movie, Associated Film, 1979
  • Pharaoh, Wholly Moses, Columbia, 1980
  • G.O.D., In God We Tru$t (also known as Gimme That Prime Time Religion), Universal, 1980
  • Harry Monroe, Stir Crazy, Columbia, 1980
  • Joe Braxton, Bustin' Loose, Universal, 1981
  • Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip (concert film), Columbia, 1982
  • Eddie Keller, Some Kind of Hero, Paramount, 1982
  • Jack Brown, The Toy, Columbia, 1982
  • Richard Pryor Here and Now (concert film), 1983
  • Gus Gorman, Superman III, Warner Bros., 1983
  • Richard Pryor-Live and Smokin' (concert film), 1985
  • Montgomery Brewster, Brewster's Millions, Universal, 1985
  • Jo Jo Dancer and alter ego, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Columbia, 1986
  • Eddie/Kevin, Critical Condition, Paramount, 1987
  • Arlo Pear, Moving, Warner Bros., 1988
  • Sugar Ray, Harlem Nights, Paramount, 1989
  • Wallace "Wally" Karue, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, TriStar, 1989
  • Eddie Dash, Another You, TriStar, 1991
  • Russell the Wino, The Three Muskatels, Peacock Films, 1992
  • Himself, A Century of Cinema (documentary), 1994
  • Jimmy the Grave Digger, Mad Dog Time (also known as Trigger Happy), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1996
  • Arnie, Lost Highway, October Films, 1997
  • (Uncredited) Me, Myself & Irene (archive footage), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000
  • Film Work
  • Producer, Bustin' Loose, Universal, 1981
  • Director, The Toy, Columbia, 1982
  • Producer, Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip, 1982
  • Director, Richard Pryor Here and Now (concert film), 1983
  • Director and producer, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Columbia, 1986
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • The Flip Wilson Show, 1970
  • Host, The Midnight Special, 1973
  • Host and performer, The Richard Pryor Show, NBC, 1977
  • Host and performer, Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984-1985
  • The Comedy Store: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2001
  • Movies
  • Jonathan Crunk, Carter's Army (also known as Black Brigade), 1969
  • The Young Lawyers, 1969
  • (Uncredited) A Huey P. Newton Story (archive footage), PBS, 2001
  • Specials
  • Lily Tomlin, CBS, 1973
  • Lily, 1974
  • Host, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (also known as Motown 25), 1983
  • Funny, ABC, 1986
  • The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1986
  • The Comedy Store 15th Year Class Reunion, NBC, 1988
  • A Laugh, a Tear, syndicated, 1990
  • Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 1990
  • A Party for Richard Pryor, CBS, 1991
  • The Meaning of Life, CBS, 1991
  • HBO's 20th Anniversary--We Hardly Believe It Ourselves, HBO, 1992
  • The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday, NBC, 1992
  • "What Is This Thing Called Love?," The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1993
  • Apollo Theater Hall of Fame, NBC, 1993
  • Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America (archive footage), 1993
  • The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame, NBC, 1994
  • Met Life Presents the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame, NBC, 1994
  • But ... Seriously, Showtime, 1994
  • 20 Years of Comedy on HBO, HBO, 1995
  • Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?, Comedy Central, 1998
  • The Mark Twain Prize: Richard Pryor, Comedy Central, 1999
  • Episodic
  • On Broadway Tonight, CBS, 1964
  • The Kraft Summer Music Hall, 1966
  • Villar, "The Night of the Eccentrics," The Wild, Wild West, CBS, 1966
  • "The Teeth of the Barracuda," The Mod Squad, 1968
  • A. E. Simon, "Soul Club," The Partridge Family, ABC, 1971
  • The Flip Wilson Show, 1973
  • Host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1975
  • Himself, "The Break Up: Part 1," Martin, Fox, 1992
  • Joe Springer, "Stand," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1995
  • Uncle Buck, "Do the K. C. Hustle," Malcolm and Eddie (also known as Top of the Stairs), UPN, 1996
  • "Richard Pryor: Comic on the Edge," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
  • Mr. Johnson, "Norm vs. the Boxer," The Norm Show, ABC, 1999
  • "Richard Pryor: Biography," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2000
  • Also appeared in The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS; The Merv Griffin Show, NBC, syndicated, and CBS; and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC.
  • Television Work
  • Specials
  • Executive producer, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993
  • Series
  • Executive producer, The Richard Pryor Show, 1977
  • RECORDINGS
  • Comedy Albums
  • Richard Pryor, Warner Bros., 1969
  • "Craps" after Dark, Ala, 1971
  • Pryor Goes Foxx Hunting, Laff, 1973
  • That Nigger's Crazy, Reprise, 1974
  • Down-N-Dirty, Laff, 1975
  • Is It Something I Said?, Reprise/Warner Bros., 1975
  • Bicentennial Nigger, Warner Bros., 1976
  • Richard Pryor Meets Richard and Willie and the S.L.A., Laff, 1976
  • L.A. Jail, Tiger Lilly, 1976
  • Are You Serious???, Laff, 1977
  • Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits, Warner Bros., 1977
  • Richard Pryor Live, World Sound, 1977
  • Who Me? I'm Not Him, Laff, 1977
  • Black Ben the Blacksmith, Laff, 1978
  • The Wizard of Comedy, Laff, 1978
  • Outrageous, Laff, 1979
  • Wanted, Warner Bros., 1979
  • Insane, Laff, 1979
  • Holy Smoke, Laff, 1980
  • Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits, Reprise, 1980
  • Rev Du Rite, Warner Bros., 1981
  • Live on Sunset Strip, Warner Bros., 1982
  • Here and Now, Warner Bros., 1983
  • WRITINGS
  • Screenplays
  • (With Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, and Alan Unger) Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
  • Adios Amigo, Atlas, 1975
  • The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, Universal, 1976
  • Car Wash, Universal, 1976
  • Silver Streak, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
  • Greased Lightning, Warner Bros., 1977
  • Which Way Is Up?, Universal, 1977
  • Blue Collar, Universal, 1978
  • Richard Pryor-Live in Concert (concert film), 1979
  • Stir Crazy, Columbia, 1980
  • (Storywriter) Bustin' Loose, Universal, 1981
  • Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip (concert film), Columbia, 1982
  • Richard Pryor Here and Now (concert film), 1983
  • Richard Pryor-Live and Smokin' (concert film), 1985
  • Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Columbia, 1986
  • Teleplays
  • Specials
  • (With others) Lily Tomlin, CBS, 1973
  • (With others) Lily, 1974
  • (Uncredited) The Mark Twain Prize: Richard Pryor, Comedy Central,1999
  • Series
  • The Flip Wilson Show, NBC, 1970
  • Sanford and Son, NBC, 1972
  • The Richard Pryor Show, 1977
  • Memoirs
  • (With Todd Gold) Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences, Pantheon (New York City), 1995

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Periodicals
    • Ebony, September, 1995, p. 92
    • New York Times, February 18, 1993