Richard Pryor
Born 1940 · Age 85
American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and cultural pioneer known for brutally honest, character-driven and race-conscious comedy. Winner of multiple Grammys and an Emmy; first recipient of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Peoria, Illinois
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III was born in Peoria, Illinois.
Sexual abuse in childhood (reported)
Sources report Pryor was sexually abused at age six by a teenaged neighbor at the brothel where he lived.
Mother deserted the family
Pryor's mother reportedly abandoned the family when he was about ten; he was raised by his grandmother who ran a brothel.
First stage role (Rumpelstiltskin) and mentor influence
At about age 12 Juliette Whittaker cast Pryor in a local production of Rumpelstiltskin and mentored his early performance development.
Expelled from school / ended formal education
Pryor was expelled from school (reports vary) at about age 14 and began working a string of jobs.
Enlisted in U.S. Army
Pryor enlisted in the Army; his enlistment lasted about 13 months and included disciplinary incidents.
Discharged from Army and began cabaret gig
After brief military service Pryor returned home and played piano/sang in local clubs (Harold's Club) before focusing on comedy.
Married Patricia Price (first marriage)
Pryor married Patricia Price; the marriage produced one child (Richard Jr.).
Moved to New York City to pursue comedy
Pryor relocated to New York and began working small clubs; his act was initially modeled after Bill Cosby and Dick Gregory.
Television debut (On Broadway Tonight)
Pryor made his television debut on the variety show On Broadway Tonight, leading to more TV appearances.
Regular TV variety appearances (Ed Sullivan, Merv Griffin era)
During the mid-1960s Pryor appeared on variety programs including Ed Sullivan, Merv Griffin and others.
Married Shelly Bonus; daughter Elizabeth born
Pryor married Shelly Bonus; daughter Elizabeth was born the same year.
Film: The Busy Body
Pryor had a small role in the film The Busy Body, one of his early movie appearances.
First self-titled comedy album released (approx.)
Pryor released his first (self-titled) comedy album around the late 1960s as he transitioned from variety to stand-up recordings.
Film: Wild in the Streets
Pryor appeared in Wild in the Streets (1968).
Moved to Berkeley, California (artistic reinvention)
Pryor moved to Berkeley, immersed in counterculture circles (Ishmael Reed, Huey Newton) and developed his edgier material.
Walked off stage at the Aladdin (creative turning point)
Frustrated by constrained material in Las Vegas, Pryor walked off the Aladdin stage and retreated to Berkeley to reinvent his voice.
Divorced Shelly Bonus
Pryor and Shelly Bonus divorced in 1969.
Film: Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' released
One of Pryor's early concert films, Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin', was released in 1971 capturing his stand-up performance.
Breakout film role: Lady Sings the Blues
Pryor earned critical notice for a supporting role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972).
Wrote for TV (Sanford and Son; Flip Wilson) and Lily specials
Pryor wrote material for shows including The Flip Wilson Show and Sanford and Son and contributed to Lily Tomlin specials.
Emmy Award for Lily (writing)
Pryor won a Primetime Emmy for writing on the Lily Tomlin special 'Lily' (1973).
Writers Guild of America Award for Blazing Saddles
Pryor received the Writers Guild of America Award for his work on Blazing Saddles (1974).
Grammy Award: That Nigger's Crazy (Best Comedy Album)
Pryor won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording for That Nigger's Crazy (1974).
Film: Uptown Saturday Night
Pryor appeared in the comedy Uptown Saturday Night (1974).
Co-wrote Blazing Saddles (screenplay credit)
Pryor was a co-writer for Mel Brooks's satirical western comedy film Blazing Saddles (1974).
Grammy Award: ...Is It Something I Said? (Best Comedy Album)
Pryor received a Grammy for his comedy album ...Is It Something I Said? (1975).
Grammy Award: Bicentennial Nigger
Pryor won a Grammy for the album Bicentennial Nigger (1976).
Film: Silver Streak (major box-office success)
Pryor co-starred with Gene Wilder in Silver Streak (1976), one of his mainstream box-office hits.
Developed and popularized characters (Mudbone and others)
During mid-1970s Pryor developed signature characters like Mudbone that became central to his storytelling style.
The Richard Pryor Show (NBC) aired and cancelled
Pryor headlined The Richard Pryor Show (1977); the show was controversial and cancelled after five episodes.
Married Deborah McGuire (third marriage)
Pryor married actress Deborah McGuire in 1977 (divorced 1979).
Starred in Greased Lightning
Pryor played the first African-American stock-car racing champion in Greased Lightning (1977).
Heart attack
Pryor suffered his first heart attack in 1978, a sign of deteriorating health amid substance issues.
Legal trouble (shot estranged wife's car)
Pryor shot at his estranged wife's car in 1978; he was fined, put on probation, ordered to get psychiatric treatment and make restitution.
Films: The Wiz; Blue Collar; California Suite (1978)
Pryor appeared in several films released in 1978, including The Wiz, Blue Collar and California Suite.
Visited Kenya; renounced use of the n-word on stage
After a transformative trip to Kenya in 1979, Pryor announced he would stop using the n-word in his act.
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (film) released
The landmark concert film Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) garnered critical praise and sold out movie theaters.
Decision to stop using the n-word on stage (artistic milestone)
Following his Kenya trip in 1979, Pryor publicly announced he would no longer use the n-word in his performances.
Substance-abuse near-death and recovery (creative pivot)
The 1980 fire incident led to months of recovery and a creative pivot toward introspective material in subsequent years.
Stir Crazy (box-office hit) with Gene Wilder
Pryor co-starred with Gene Wilder in Stir Crazy (1980), a massive box-office success reportedly earning over $100 million.
Founded Indigo production company
Pryor formed his own production company, Indigo, under the Columbia Pictures banner (official site cites formation in 1980).
Cocaine freebasing incident — set on fire
In June 1980, while freebasing cocaine Pryor set himself on fire in an incident he later admitted was a suicide attempt; he suffered third-degree burns over more than 50% of his body.
Grammy Award: Rev. Du Rite
Pryor won a Grammy Award for the comedy album Rev. Du Rite (1981).
Married Jennifer Lee (first time)
Pryor married Jennifer Lee in 1981; the marriage ended in 1982. He later remarried her in 2001.
Grammy Award: Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip; concert film released
Pryor won a Grammy for Live on the Sunset Strip (1982); the performance was released as a concert film the same year.
NATO Entertainer of the Year
Pryor was named NATO (National Association of Theater Owners) Entertainer of the Year in 1982.
Grammy Award: Richard Pryor: Here and Now
Pryor won a Grammy for Here and Now (1983), another live/comedy album recognition.
Paid $4 million for Superman III role (highest paid at that time)
Pryor earned approximately $4 million for his role in Superman III (1983), reportedly more than the film's star Christopher Reeve.
Pryor's Place (children's TV series)
Pryor headlined and received recognition for the children's TV series Pryor's Place (1984).
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Pryor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986, which progressively limited his mobility and performances.
Autobiographical film: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
Pryor wrote, directed and starred in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), an autobiographical film about a comic's rise and fall.
Married Flynn BeLaine (brief)
Pryor married actress Flynn BeLaine in 1986 (they divorced 1987; reports indicate brief remarriage attempt 1990-1991).
Film: Critical Condition
Pryor starred in Critical Condition (1987).
Films: See No Evil, Hear No Evil; Harlem Nights
Pryor appeared in See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Harlem Nights (1989).
Reported establishment of charity 'Pryor's Planet' (animal-rights charity)
Sources note that Pryor established 'Pryor's Planet,' a charity for animals; exact founding year is not widely documented (estimate placed here as circa 1990s).
Film: Another You
Pryor reunited with Gene Wilder in Another You (1991).
American Comedy Awards: Lifetime Achievement Honoree
Pryor received a Lifetime Achievement honor from the American Comedy Awards in 1992.
CableACE Award (Best Entertainment/Cultural Documentary or Informational Special)
Pryor won a CableACE award in 1993 for a documentary/informational special.
TV appearance: Chicago Hope episode (with daughter Rain)
Pryor appeared on an episode of Chicago Hope in 1995, playing a man with multiple sclerosis; his daughter Rain also appeared.
Autobiography published: Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences
Pryor published his autobiography with Todd Gold to critical acclaim (1995).
NAACP Hall of Fame Award
Pryor was honored by the NAACP with a Hall of Fame award in 1996 (sources vary on exact NAACP honor/year but recognition occurred mid-1990s).
Film: Lost Highway (final film appearance)
Pryor's last film role was a part in David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997).
NAACP Image / Lifetime recognition (reported)
Various sources report the NAACP awarded Pryor a Lifetime Achievement Image Award around the late 1990s (sources vary between 1996–1997).
First recipient: Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Pryor was the inaugural recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998.
Activism: PETA recognition & animal-rights advocacy
Pryor was honored by PETA and actively opposed animal testing; he corresponded publicly about animal-welfare issues around 2000.
Remarried Jennifer Lee
Pryor remarried Jennifer Lee in 2001 and lived with her in California in his final years.
Recognized by Comedy Central as greatest stand-up alive (shortly before death)
Months before his death Comedy Central listed Pryor as the greatest stand-up comedian of all time (source attribution varies to 2005 list).
Died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles
Richard Pryor died on December 10, 2005 of cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles-area hospital/at home (sources note cardiac arrest).
Posthumous recognition: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (awarded after death)
In the years following his death Pryor was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his recordings (sources place this recognition shortly after his death).
Biopic talks reported (Tracy Morgan / Lee Daniels)
Reports surfaced in 2016 that Tracy Morgan was in talks to star in a Richard Pryor biopic with Lee Daniels attached to direct.
Rolling Stone ranks Pryor #1 on '50 Best Stand-up Comics' (posthumous)
Rolling Stone placed Pryor at number one on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time (2017), a posthumous recognition of influence.
Key Achievement Ages
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