Photo: NBC Television / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Peoria, Illinois · Stand-up legend
Richard Pryor
Stand-up comedian · Actor · Live in Concert
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Who is Richard Pryor?
Richard Pryor (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, widely considered one of the greatest stand-ups of all time. Comedian Richard Pryor grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and turned raw, personal storytelling into landmark concert films such as Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) and Live on the Sunset Strip (1982). He won multiple Grammy Awards, received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998, and starred in Silver Streak, Stir Crazy and Brewster’s Millions.
Career timeline
- 1940Born December 1 in Peoria, Illinois
- 1963Moves to New York’s Greenwich Village comedy scene
- 1974Co-writes Blazing Saddles; first comedy-album Grammy
- 1976Silver Streak with Gene Wilder
- 1979Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
- 1980Stir Crazy
- 1982Live on the Sunset Strip
- 1985Brewster’s Millions
- 1998First Mark Twain Prize
- 2005Dies December 10 in Los Angeles
Podcast & show guest appearances
0 verified Richard Pryor guest appearances on other shows. His career predates podcasts, so none are listed yet.
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Richard Pryor concert films
Concert films
Live in Concert (1979), Live on the Sunset Strip (1982), Here and Now (1983).
Albums
Multiple Grammy-winning comedy albums, including Is It Something I Said?
Richard Pryor movies and TV shows
- Silver Streak (1976)
- Stir Crazy (1980)
- Brewster’s Millions (1985)
- Blazing Saddles (1974), co-writer
- The Richard Pryor Show (1977), NBC
Full credits on IMDb.
People
- Gene Wilder, four-film co-star
- Mel Brooks, with whom he co-wrote Blazing Saddles
- Yakov Smirnoff, Brewster’s Millions co-star
Places
- Peoria, Illinois (born)
- Greenwich Village, New York
- Los Angeles (died 2005)
Products
- Official site: richardpryor.com
- Live in Concert: Amazon
- Live on the Sunset Strip: Amazon
- Here and Now: Amazon
- Is It Something I Said?: Amazon
Richard Pryor FAQ
Who was Richard Pryor?
An American stand-up comedian and actor, widely ranked among the greatest stand-ups ever, known for Live in Concert.
Is Richard Pryor still alive?
No. Richard Pryor was born December 1, 1940 and died December 10, 2005, at 65.
Did Richard Pryor win the Mark Twain Prize?
Yes, he was its first recipient, in 1998.
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Official links
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