Trivia

Has admitted the fire that nearly killed him while free-basing cocaine in the early 1980s was in fact a suicide attempt. His management created the "accident" lie for the press in hopes of protecting him.

Suffered from multiple sclerosis from 1986 until his death in 2005.

He was invited to a private screening of National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) by director John Landis, who wanted Pryor's opinion about the scene at the black roadhouse. Landis and the film's backers were concerned that it would be offensive to black audiences. Pryor laughed out loud, and told them that it should definitely be kept in the movie.

He was expelled from a Catholic grammar school in Peoria, Illinois, when the nuns found out his grandmother owned a string of brothels.

Though he made four films with Gene Wilder, the two comic actors were never as close as many thought, according to the Gene Wilder's autobiography.

Pryor was originally slated to play Bart in Blazing Saddles (1974). Due to Pryor's background and controversial stand-up routines, Mel Brooks could not secure financing for the project. Brooks made Pryor a co-writer, and Cleavon Little played Bart.

Remarried two of his ex-wives: Flynn Belaine (1990) and Jennifer Lee Pryor (2001).

He served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960, but spent virtually the entire stint in an army prison. According to a 1999 profile about Pryor in The New Yorker, Pryor was incarcerated for an incident that occurred while he was stationed in West Germany. Angered that a white soldier was overly amused at the racially charged scenes of Imitation of Life (1959), Pryor and several other black soldiers beat and stabbed him, although not fatally.

In 1990, he suffered a massive heart attack and underwent triple bypass surgery.

Several prolific comedians who have claimed Pryor as an influence include George Carlin, Dave Attell, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Colin Quinn, Patrice O'Neal, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Griffin and Eddie Izzard.

He was originally considered for the role of Billy Ray Valentine in Trading Places (1983), before Eddie Murphy ultimately won the role.

Eddie Murphy pointed to Pryor as his role model and inspiration to become a comedian himself.

Admitted that he did Superman III (1983) and The Toy (1982) purely for the money.

Chosen as #1 in Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time. (April 2004)

Father, Buck Pryor (aka LeRoy Carter), was a bartender, boxer and World War II veteran, who passed away when Richard was age 28.

He has appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Wattstax (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) and The Muppet Movie (1979). He has also co-written one film that is in the registry: Blazing Saddles (1974).

He and Margot Kidder had an affair while working on Some Kind of Hero (1982) together. They would later work together again in Superman III (1983).

He was the first black person to host Saturday Night Live (1975).

Claimed to have seen the film The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) 40 times. His future wife Jennifer Lee Pryor had a role in the film.

He was considered for Eddie Murphy's roles in 48 Hrs. (1982), Trading Places (1983) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6438 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on May 20, 1993.

In 1998, he won the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

One of his limousine drivers was Freddy Soto, who later became a stand-up comedian. He also passed away in 2005.

He hated Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales (1969), a short film he appeared in when he was starting his stand-up career, so much he destroyed as much as he could of the original negatives.

Children: Renee Pryor, Richard Pryor Jr., Elizabeth Pryor, Rain Pryor, Stephen Pryor, Kelsey Pryor and Franklin Pryor (Mason Pryor).

At age 16, he was expelled from Central High School for punching his science teacher.

He is a second cousin, once removed, of rapper and actor Ludacris. Richard's maternal great-grandparents, William A. Craig and Nancy, were also Ludacris's maternal great-great-grandparents.

In 2018, Quincy Jones and Jennifer Lee Pryor claimed that Pryor had a sexual relationship with Marlon Brando, and that Pryor was open about his bisexuality with his friends. Pryor's daughter Rain later disputed the claim. In his autobiography, Pryor admitted to having a two-week sexual relationship with a transvestite, which he called "two weeks of being gay".

In 2002, Sheridan Road, on the south side of Peoria, was renamed Richard Pryor Place.

Mother, Gertrude Thomas, passed away when Pryor was 27 years old.

Suffered a mild heart attack in November 1977. He passed away only nine days after his 65th birthday.

Was friends with Bill Cosby and Redd Foxx.

Had starred with Gene Wilder in four movies: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991).

He missed out on two roles that went to Gregory Hines. He was supposed to play Josephus in History of the World: Part I (1981), but had to drop out due to his freebasing accident. He offered the role of Sandman Williams in The Cotton Club (1984), but his asking price was too high.

He was due to star in The Sting II (1983) opposite Lily Tomlin, but they both dropped out.

In a 2005 British poll to find "The Comedian's Comedian", Pryor was voted the 10th-greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

He was scheduled to appear on Chris Langham (1981) until his notorious freebasing suicide attempt made that appointment impossible. Staff writer Chris Langham had to substitute.

Labelled the 'black Lenny Bruce' he developed his act in night clubs and from 1966 became a star on tv, records and at Las Vegas.

Posthumously inducted into the International Mustache Hall of Fame in the category Film & Television (2017).

He was briefly attached to star in Malcolm X (1992) during the early production stages.

Had appeared in Superman III (1983), the only movie in the series in which Lex Luthor does not appear. However, he did eventually get to work with an on-screen Lex Luthor, by appearing in See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) with Kevin Spacey.

Former father-in-law Herbert Bonis managed Danny Kaye for 35 years.

With the success of Stir Crazy there were plans to make a sequel but it never happened.

He was originally going to star in A Fine Mess (1986) opposite Burt Reynolds.

He was going to star in Bird (1988) when the project was at Paramount Pictures.

Mike Johansen's personal favorite comic.