Recent Shows: Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
Biography:
Highly influential, and always controversial, African/American
actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language
during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple
marriages and battles with drug addiction. He has been ac ...(read more)
Highly influential, and always controversial, African/American
actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language
during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple
marriages and battles with drug addiction. He has been acknowledged by
many modern comic artist's as a key influence on their careers, and
Pryor's observational humor on African/American life in the USA during
the 1970s was razor sharp brilliance. He was born Richard Franklin
Lennox Pryor III in Peoria, Illinois on December 1st 1940, the son of a
prostitute, and was abandoned by his mother at ten years of age, after
which he was raised in his grandmother's brothel. Unfortunately, Pryor
was molested at the age of six by a teenage neighbor, and later by a
neighborhood priest. To escape this troubled life, the young Pryor was
an avid movie fan and a regular visitor to local movie theaters in
Peoria. After numerous jobs, including truck driver and meat packer,
the young Pryor did a stint in the US Army between 1958 & 1960 in which
he performed in amateur theater shows. After he left the services in
1960, Pryor started singing in small clubs, but inadvertently found
that humor was his real forte.
Pryor spent time in both New York & Las Vegas, honing his comic craft.
However, his unconventional approach to humor sometimes made bookings
difficult to come by and this eventually saw Pryor heading to Los
Angeles. He first broke into films with minor roles in Busy Body, The (1967) and
Wild in the Streets (1968) . However, his performance as a drug addicted piano player in
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) , really got the attention of fans and film critics alike.
He made his first appearance with 'Gene Wilder' in the very popular
action/comedy Silver Streak (1976) , played three different characters in Which Way Is Up? (1977) and
portrayed real-life stock-car driver "Wendell Scott" in Greased Lightning (1977) .
Proving he was more than just a comedian, Pryor wowed audiences as a
disenchanted auto worker who is seduced into betraying his friends and
easy money in the 'Paul Schrader (I)' working class drama Blue Collar (1978) , also starring
'Yaphet Kotto' and 'Harvey Keitel' . Always a strong advocate of African/American
talent, Pryor next took a key role in Wiz, The (1978/I) , starring an all
African/American cast, including 'Diana Ross (I)' and 'Michael Jackson (I)' , retelling the
story of Wizard of Oz, The (1939) . His next four screen roles were primarily cameos in
California Suite (1978) ; Muppet Movie, The (1979) ; Wholly Moses! (1980) and In God We Tru$t (1980) . However, Pryor teamed up with
'Gene Wilder' once more for the prison comedy Stir Crazy (1980) , which did strong box
office business.
His next few films were a mixed bag of material, often inhibiting
Pryor's talent, with equally mixed returns at the box office. Pryor
then scored second billing to 'Christopher Reeve' in the big budget Superman III (1983) , and
starred alongside fellow funny man 'John Candy' in Brewster's Millions (1985) before revealing
his inner self in the autobiographical Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) . Again, Pryor was
somewhat hampered by poor material in his following film ventures.
However, he did turn up again in See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) with 'Gene Wilder' , but the final
product was not as sharp as their previous pairings. Pryor then
partnered on-screen with two other very popular African/American
comic's. The legendary 'Redd Foxx (I)' and 1980s comic newcomer 'Eddie Murphy (I)' starred
with Pryor in the gangster film Harlem Nights (1989) which was also directed by
Eddie Murphy. Having contracted multiple sclerosis in 1986, Pryor's
remaining film appearances were primarily cameos apart from his fourth
and final outing with 'Gene Wilder' in the lukewarm Another You (1991) , and his final
appearance in a film production was a small role in the 'David Lynch (I)' road
flick Lost Highway (1997) .
Fans of this outrageous comic genius are encouraged to see his live
specials Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' (1971) ; the dynamic Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) ; Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) and Richard Pryor ...Here and Now (1983) . In
addition, "Richard Pryor Show, The" (1977) is a must-have for any Richard Pryor fans' DVD
collection.
Unknown to many, Pryor was a long time advocate against animal cruelty,
and he campaigned against fast food chains and circus shows to address
issues of animal welfare. He was married a total of seven times, and
fathered eight children.
After long battles with ill health, Richard Pryor passed away on
December 10th, 2005.
firehouse44@hotmail.com
Trademarks:
* Foul language that has been compared to raw sewage mixed with social insight that has been compared to 'Mark Twain' .
* Frequently worked with 'Gene Wilder' and 'Mel Brooks (I)' .
* Foul language that has been compared to raw sewage mixed with social insight that has been compared to 'Mark Twain' .
* Frequently worked with 'Gene Wilder' and 'Mel Brooks (I)' .
Quotes:
* You can have a film and have 200 white people working on it, and nobody
finds anything wrong with that. But if you insist on having a black
crew, all of a sudden there's something wrong.
* [On his job as a boxing gym sparring partner]: I always had ...(read more)
* You can have a film and have 200 white people working on it, and nobody
finds anything wrong with that. But if you insist on having a black
crew, all of a sudden there's something wrong.
* [On his job as a boxing gym sparring partner]: I always had to fight
the guys who looked like they just killed their parents.
* Comedy rules! Don't let anybody tell you otherwise, and there are no
rules in stand-up comedy, which I really like. You can do anything you
want and you can say anything that comes to mind, just so long as it's
funny. If you ain't funny then get the fuck off the stage, it's that
simple.
* I live in racist America and I'm uneducated, yet a lot of people love
me and like what I do, and I can make a living from it. You can't do
much better than that.
* I had some great things and I had some bad things. The best and the
worst. In other words, I had a life.
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Posted on 08/06/07 06:12 AM.
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