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Richard Pryor is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Producer American born on 1 december 1940 at Peoria (USA)

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor
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Birth name Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor
Nationality USA
Birth 1 december 1940 at Peoria (USA)
Death 10 december 2005 (at 65 years)
Awards Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and actor. He is currently listed at Number 1 on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians.

Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities and profanity, as well as racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time: Jerry Seinfeld called Pryor "The Picasso of our profession", and Bob Newhart has called Pryor "the seminal comedian of the last 50 years". This legacy can be attributed, in part, to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. As Bill Cosby reportedly once said, "Richard Pryor drew the line between comedy and tragedy as thin as one could possibly paint it."

Pryor's body of work includes the concert movies and recordings: Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' (1971), That Nigger's Crazy (1974), ...Is It Something I Said? (1975), Bicentennial Nigger (1976), Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979), Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), and Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983). He also starred in numerous films as an actor, such as Superman III (1983), but was usually in comedies such as Silver Streak (1976), and occasionally in dramatic roles, such as Paul Schrader's film Blue Collar (1978). He collaborated on many projects with actor Gene Wilder. Another frequent collaborator was actor/comedian/writer Paul Mooney.

Pryor won an Emmy Award (1973) and five Grammy Awards (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, and 1982). In 1974, he also won two American Academy of Humor awards and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998.

Biography

Sa carrière de comique commence dès l'école secondaire par un marché passé avec l'un de ses professeurs : si Pryor accepte d'arrêter de plaisanter pendant le cours, l'enseignant le laisse faire son spectacle devant ses camarades une fois par semaine.

Devenu adulte, ses premiers sketchs sont politiquement corrects, on le compare élogieusement à Bill Cosby. Pryor, qui avait pourtant du succès, trouve cela frustrant. Il s'éloigne de la comédie pendant deux ans.

Son heure de gloire, Richard Pryor la connaît entre le milieu des années 1970 et le milieu des années 1980, travaillant notamment avec Mel Brooks et Gene Wilder. Dans les années 1980, devenu l'un des acteurs les mieux payés des États-Unis, il joue dans Toubib malgré lui, Pas nous, pas nous (See No Evil, Hear No Evil) ou Les Nuits de Harlem. De très graves problèmes de santé (dus à la sclérose en plaques dont il souffre à partir de 1986, et à sa dépendance à la drogue) freinent son accession au titre de plus grand comique afro-américain. Il est supplanté par Eddie Murphy, dont il avait été l'inspiration à ses débuts. Dans les années 1990, rattrapé par la maladie, il s'éloigne des écrans. Il tient encore quelques petits rôles au cinéma, notamment dans Lost Highway de David Lynch où il apparait cloué sur son fauteuil roulant.


Décès
Le 9 décembre 2005 à l’âge de 65 ans, il succombe à une attaque cardiaque à son domicile de la Vallée de San Fernando en Californie. Selon Flyn Pryor, son ex-épouse, la sclérose en plaques dont il souffrait aurait pu expliquer son recours à la drogue.

En 2004, la chaîne Comedy Central classa Richard Pryor comme meilleur humoriste américain de tous les temps.

Best films

Blazing Saddles (1974)
(Scriptwriter)
Stir Crazy (1980)
(Actor)
Superman III (1983)
(Actor)
Silver Streak (1976)
(Actor)
The Toy (1982)
(Actor)
Brewster's Millions (1985)
(Actor)

Usually with

Paul Mooney
Paul Mooney
(4 films)
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
(8 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Richard Pryor (54 films)

Display filmography as detailed form
YearNameJobRoles
2013Richard Pryor: Omit the LogicActorSelf (archive footage)
2009Black DynamiteActorM.C.
2006The N WordActorHimself (archive footage)
2003Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!ActorSelf (archive footage)
2000Me, Myself & IreneActor
1997Lost HighwayActorArnie
1997Blacks and JewsActorSelf
1996Mad Dog TimeActorJimmy the Gravedigger
1994A Century of CinemaActor
1991Another YouActorEddie Dash
1991The Three MuscatelsActorNarrator / Wino / Bartender
1989Harlem NightsActorSugar Ray
1989See No Evil, Hear No EvilActorWallace 'Wally' Karue
1988MovingActorArlo Pear
1987Critical ConditionActorEddie Lenahan/Dr. Kevin Slattery
1986Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is CallingActor, Director, Scriptwriter, ProducerJo Jo Dancer / Alter Ego
1985Brewster's MillionsActorMontgomery Brewster
1983Superman IIIActorAugust "Gus" Gorman
1983Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, ForeverActorSelf - Host
1982The ToyActorJack Brown
1982Some Kind of HeroActorCpl. Eddie Keller / Ted Segal
1982Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset StripActor, Writer, ProducerSelf
1981Bustin' LooseActor, Story, ProducerJoe Braxton
1980Stir CrazyActorHarry Monroe
1980In God We Tru$tActorG.O.D.
1980Wholly MosesActorPharaoh
1979The Muppet MovieActorBalloon Vendor
1979Richard Pryor: Live in ConcertActor, WriterSelf
1978The WizActorThe Wiz
1978Blue CollarActorZeke Brown
1978California SuiteActorDr. Chauncey Gump
1977Greased LightningActorWendell Scott
1977Which Way Is Up?ActorLeroy Jones/Rufus Jones/Rev. Lenox Thomas
1976The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor KingsActorCharlie Snow
1976Car WashActorDaddy Rich
1976The Duchess and the Dirtwater FoxActorTrollop
1976Silver StreakActorGrover Muldoon
1975The Sunshine BoysActorHelen Clark
1975Adiós AmigoActorSam Spade
1974Blazing SaddlesScriptwriter
1974Uptown Saturday NightActorSharp Eye Washington
1973Hit!ActorMike Willmer
1973The MackActorSlim
1973Some Call It LovingActorJeff
1973WattstaxActorSelf
1972Lady Sings the BluesActorPiano Man
1971You've Got To Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That BeatActorWino
1971Dynamite ChickenActorSelf
1971Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin'Actor, WriterSelf
1970The PhynxActorRichard Pryor
1970Carter's ArmyActorPvt. Jonathan Crunk
1969Uncle Tom's Fairy TalesActor, Writer
1968Wild in the StreetsActorStanley X
1967The Busy BodyActorWhittaker