People, Locations, Episodes

Sun, 12.01.1940

Richard Pryor, Comedian, and Actor born

Richard Pryor, a Black actor, director, screenwriter, and stand-up comic, was born on this date in 1940.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor grew up in a lower-class brothel.  He dropped out of high school at 14 and served in the United States Army for two years.  He honed an instinctive talent for humor into a proficient stand-up comedy act while touring nightclubs during the early 1960s, eventually gaining national exposure through appearances on television talk and variety shows.  Responding to the social ferment of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pryor departed from the conventions of stand-up comedy.

He drew freely on his Black experiences in America, treating racism, sex, and street life confrontationally. The resulting routines, recorded on such hit albums as "That Nigger's Crazy," were hilarious, insightful, and often moving.  Pryor made his movie debut in 1967 and appeared in several low-budget films. After his first major screen role in "Lady Sings the Blues," he also had a part in the 1978 movie "The Wiz," which became one of the biggest box-office attractions of the 1970s.

He did his most critically acclaimed screen work in the political drama "Blue Collar" and in two films of his "Stand Up" solo shows, "Richard Pryor Live in Concert" and "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip." His career was interrupted in 1980 when he suffered severe burns while using cocaine. Although his career was revived, he was forced to retire from performing in the early 1990s due to multiple sclerosis.

Pryor was known for dealing candidly with controversial topics and bringing Black comedy traditions to mainstream audiences. He raised stand-up comedy to the level of performance art and influenced a generation of performers.

Richard Pryor died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, CA, on December 10, 2005.

To become an Actor or Actress.