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Quick Facts
- NAME: Richard Pryor
- OCCUPATION: Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter
- BIRTH DATE: December 01, 1940
- DEATH DATE: December 10, 2005
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Peoria, Illinois
- PLACE OF DEATH: Los Angeles, California
- Full Name: Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor
- AKA: Richard Pryor
Best Known For
Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking African-American comedian and one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and '80s.
Videos see all videos
Richard Pryor - No Holds Barred
Watch a short video about comedian Richard Pryor and his foul mouthed, no holds barred style.
Richard Pryor - Relationship to Fame
Actress-Director Rain Pryor talks candidly about her father, comedian Richard Pryor, and his take on being a celebrity.
Richard Pryor - Difficult Childhood
Actress-Director Rain Pryor talks about her father, comedian Richard Pryor, and how his difficult childhood influenced his comedy.
Richard Pryor - Comedy Pioneer
Actress-Director Rain Pryor talks about how her father Richard Pryor was a comedy pioneer with his raw stand-up performances and honest critiques of race.
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Play NowRichard Pryor. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 05:56, May 25, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082.
Richard Pryor. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082 [Accessed 25 May 2013].
"Richard Pryor." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 25 2013, 05:56 http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082.
"Richard Pryor," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082 [accessed May 25, 2013].
"Richard Pryor," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082 (accessed May 25, 2013).
Richard Pryor [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 25] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082.
Richard Pryor, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082 (last visited May 25, 2013).
Richard Pryor. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082. Accessed May 25, 2013.
In 2001, Pryor remarried Jennifer Lee. He spent his final years with her at his California home. Outside of performing, Pryor was an advocate for animal rights and opposed animal testing. He established Pryor's Planet, a charity for animals.
On December 10, 2005, Pryor died of a heart attack at a Los Angeles area hospital. He paved the way for such comedians as Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock,
Contents
and countless others. "Pryor started it all. He made the blueprint for the progressive thinking of black comedians, unlocking that irreverent style," comedian and filmmaker Keenen Ivory Wayans explained to The New York Times.
© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.
Show
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See Rain Pryor, the daughter of the comedian Richard Pryor, in her solo Off-Broadway show Fried Chicken & Latkes at the Actors Temple Theatre.
profile name: Richard Pryor profile occupation:
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Included In These Groups
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Black Comedians
View groupFrom the early comedy of Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby to the contemporary routines of Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes and Dave Chappelle, black comedians have often used their wit to become the voice and face of the African-American experience. These legendary comedians have also set a very high bar—not only for African Americans, but for all comics trying to make it in show business. Learn more about these famous jokesters, from their early days to their comic beginnings, to their side-splitting performances and more.
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Numerous Nuptials
View groupLife imitates art in Hollywood, where passionate romances turn into short-lived marriages and quickie divorces. Numerous nuptials are one of the hallmarks of the celebrity lifestyle. Hollywood royalty Elizabeth Taylor married eight times—even more than real royalty King Henry VIII, who married six times. Here's a look at the famous individuals who tied the knot—and then tied it again, and again, and again.
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