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

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