Richard Pryor was an American comedian, actor and writer. He was known for unflinching examinations of racism and customs in modern life, as well for his frequent use of colorful, vulgar and profane language, and racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations. Pryor’s body of work included concert movies, recordings, and numerous films as an actor, usually in comedies.
Pryor was born in Peoria, Illinois and grew up in his grandmother’s brothel where his mother practiced prostitution and his father was her pimp. Pryor was expelled from school at age 14 and from 1958 to 1960, he served in the United States Army, but spent virtually his entire stint in an army prison. When he was 19, he worked at a Mafia-owned nightclub as the MC. In 1963, he moved to New York City and began performing regularly in clubs alongside performers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Allen.
Soon, Pryor began regularly on television variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. In 1969, he moved to Berkeley, California and recorded several comedy albums. Pryor wrote for T.V. and appeared in several popular films in 1970s and early 1980s, including The Mack, Silver Streak, and Bustin’ Loose. In 1983, he signed a five-year, $40 million contract and resulted in softer, more formulaic films like Superman III and The Toy. In 1991, he announced that he had been suffering from multiple sclerosis and died of cardiac arrest on December 10, 2005.
