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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Karim Prince to Brad Renfro
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
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CREDITS
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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
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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
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Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip (concert film), Columbia, 1982
- Eddie Keller, Some Kind of Hero, Paramount, 1982
- Jack Brown, The Toy, Columbia, 1982
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Richard Pryor Here and Now (concert film), 1983
- Gus Gorman, Superman III, Warner Bros., 1983
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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
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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
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Television Appearances
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Series
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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
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The Comedy Store: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2001
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Movies
- Jonathan Crunk, Carter's Army (also known as Black Brigade), 1969
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The Young Lawyers, 1969
- (Uncredited) A Huey P. Newton Story (archive footage), PBS, 2001
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Specials
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Lily Tomlin, CBS, 1973
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Lily, 1974
- Host, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (also known as Motown 25), 1983
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Funny, ABC, 1986
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The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1986
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The Comedy Store 15th Year Class Reunion, NBC, 1988
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A Laugh, a Tear, syndicated, 1990
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Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 1990
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A Party for Richard Pryor, CBS, 1991
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The Meaning of Life, CBS, 1991
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HBO's 20th Anniversary--We Hardly Believe It Ourselves, HBO, 1992
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The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday, NBC, 1992
- "What Is This Thing Called Love?," The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1993
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Apollo Theater Hall of Fame, NBC, 1993
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Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America (archive footage), 1993
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The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame, NBC, 1994
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Met Life Presents the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame, NBC, 1994
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But ... Seriously, Showtime, 1994
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20 Years of Comedy on HBO, HBO, 1995
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Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?, Comedy Central, 1998
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The Mark Twain Prize: Richard Pryor, Comedy Central, 1999
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Episodic
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On Broadway Tonight, CBS, 1964
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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
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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.
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Television Work
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Specials
- Executive producer, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993
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Series
- Executive producer, The Richard Pryor Show, 1977
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RECORDINGS
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Comedy Albums
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Richard Pryor, Warner Bros., 1969
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"Craps" after Dark, Ala, 1971
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Pryor Goes Foxx Hunting, Laff, 1973
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That Nigger's Crazy, Reprise, 1974
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Down-N-Dirty, Laff, 1975
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Is It Something I Said?, Reprise/Warner Bros., 1975
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Bicentennial Nigger, Warner Bros., 1976
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Richard Pryor Meets Richard and Willie and the S.L.A., Laff, 1976
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L.A. Jail, Tiger Lilly, 1976
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Are You Serious???, Laff, 1977
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Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits, Warner Bros., 1977
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Richard Pryor Live, World Sound, 1977
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Who Me? I'm Not Him, Laff, 1977
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Black Ben the Blacksmith, Laff, 1978
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The Wizard of Comedy, Laff, 1978
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Outrageous, Laff, 1979
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Wanted, Warner Bros., 1979
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Insane, Laff, 1979
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Holy Smoke, Laff, 1980
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Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits, Reprise, 1980
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Rev Du Rite, Warner Bros., 1981
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Live on Sunset Strip, Warner Bros., 1982
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Here and Now, Warner Bros., 1983
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WRITINGS
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Screenplays
- (With Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, and Alan Unger) Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
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Adios Amigo, Atlas, 1975
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The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, Universal, 1976
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Car Wash, Universal, 1976
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Silver Streak, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
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Greased Lightning, Warner Bros., 1977
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Which Way Is Up?, Universal, 1977
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Blue Collar, Universal, 1978
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Richard Pryor-Live in Concert (concert film), 1979
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Stir Crazy, Columbia, 1980
- (Storywriter) Bustin' Loose, Universal, 1981
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Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip (concert film), Columbia, 1982
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Richard Pryor Here and Now (concert film), 1983
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Richard Pryor-Live and Smokin' (concert film), 1985
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Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Columbia, 1986
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Teleplays
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Specials
- (With others) Lily Tomlin, CBS, 1973
- (With others) Lily, 1974
- (Uncredited) The Mark Twain Prize: Richard Pryor, Comedy Central,1999
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Series
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The Flip Wilson Show, NBC, 1970
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Sanford and Son, NBC, 1972
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The Richard Pryor Show, 1977
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Memoirs
- (With Todd Gold) Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences, Pantheon (New York City), 1995
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals
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Ebony, September, 1995, p. 92
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New York Times, February 18, 1993
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