Richard pryor
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To escape this troubled life, the young Pryor was an avid movie fan and a regular visitor to local movie theaters in Peoria.
Quickly realizing that audiences preferred his jokes to his singing, Pryor began working as a professional comic in clubs throughout the Midwest. She believed in his talent and encouraged him throughout the years.
Expelled from school at age 14, Pryor ended up working a string of jobs until he joined the military in 1958.
He added life and vitality to the role and to the film. Born Franklin Lenox Thomas in Peoria, Illinois, December 1, 1940. No longer did he mimic Cosby, for he now spoke on behalf of the underclass, and his monologues and jokes reflected their despair and disillusionment with life in the United States. Served in the U.S. Army, 1958–60.
Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Richard Pryor, comic, writer, and television and film star, was the first African-American stand-up comedian to speak candidly and successfully to integrated audiences using the language and jokes Blacks previously only shared among themselves when they were most critical of the United States.
His abandonment of the word in his stage performances attracted death threats, hate mail and attacks on his home from some deranged former fans. 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. More movies followed, including Lady Sings the Blues, which earned him strong notice as Billie Holliday's drug-addicted piano player.
While in New York, Pryor also garnered some mentorship from none other than the great Woody Allen. He died of a heart attack in 2005.
Early Life
Pryor was born on December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois.
Pryor also starred in several films, including Some Kind of Hero (1982) with Margo Kidder and The Toy (1982) with Jackie Gleason.
But Pryor is best known and loved for his live comedy where he presents the truth as he sees it in a hyperkinetic, expletive-laced, free-form style.
In 1978, Pryor had another run-in with the law after he shot his estranged wife's car. A metamorphosis took place during those two years, and Pryor offered his audiences a new collection of characters, earthy metaphors, and the tough, rough profane language of the streets.
The Richard Pryor Show premiered on NBC in 1977 and rocked the censors until, after only five shows, the series was canceled. A natural performer, Pryor was cast in a production of Rumpelstiltskin by Juliette Whittaker, the director of a local community center. Inspired by Bill Cosby, Pryor went to New York in 1963 and gained recognition for his club work as a stand-up, performing on the same bill as such famous personalities as Bob Dylan and Richie Havens.