Richard Pryor dead at 65

[TB4000]

Pathbreaking Comedian Richard Pryor Dies

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES -
Richard Pryor, the caustic yet perceptive actor-comedian who lived dangerously close to the edge both on stage and off, died Saturday. He was 65.


Pryor died shortly before 8 a.m. of a heart attack after being taken to a hospital from his home in the San Fernando Valley, said his business manager, Karen Finch. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

"We loved him and will miss you," his ex-wife, Flynn Pryor, said from her Florida home.

Pryor was regarded early in his career as one of the most foul-mouthed comics in the business, but he gained a wide following for his expletive-filled but universal and frequently personal insights into modern life and race relations.

His audacious style influenced an array of stand-up artists, including
Eddie Murphy,
Arsenio Hall and
Damon Wayans, as well as
Robin Williams, David Letterman and others.

A series of hit comedies in the '70s and '80s, as well as filmed versions of his concert performances, helped make him Pryor one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood. He was one of the first black performers to have enough leverage to cut his own Hollywood deals. In 1983, he signed a $40 million, five-year contract with Columbia Pictures.

His films included "Stir Crazy," "Silver Streak," "Which Way Is Up?" and "Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip."

Throughout his career, Pryor focused on racial inequality, once joking as the host of the 1977
Academy Awards that
Harry Belafonte and
Sidney Poitier were the only black members of the Academy.

Pryor once marveled "that I live in racist America and I'm uneducated, yet a lot of people love me and like what I do, and I can make a living from it. You can't do much better than that."

In 1980, he nearly lost his life when he suffered severe burns over 50 percent of his body while freebasing cocaine at his home. An admitted "junkie" at the time, Pryor spent six weeks recovering from the burns and much longer from drug and alcohol dependence.

He battled multiple sclerosis throughout the '90s.

In his last movie, the 1991 bomb "Another You," Pryor's poor health was clearly evident. Pryor made a comeback attempt the following year, returning to standup comedy in clubs and on television while looking thin and frail, and with noticeable speech and movement difficulties.

In 1995, he played an embittered multiple sclerosis patient in an episode of the television series "Chicago Hope." The role earned him an Emmy nomination as best guest actor in a drama series.

"To be diagnosed was the hardest thing because I didn't know what they were talking about," he said. "And the doctor said `Don't worry, in three months you'll know.'

"So I went about my business and then, one day, it jumped me. I couldn't get up. ... Your muscles trick you; they did me."

While Pryor's material sounds modest when compared with some of today's raunchier comedians, it was startling material when first introduced. He never apologized for it.

In his 1977 NBC television series "The Richard Pryor Show," he threatened to cancel his contract with the network after NBC's censors objected to a skit in which Pryor appeared naked save for a flesh-colored loincloth to suggest he was emasculated.

In his later years Pryor mellowed considerably, and his film roles looked more like easy paychecks than artistic endeavors. His robust work gave way to torpid efforts like "Harlem Nights," "Brewster's Millions" and "Hear No Evil, See No Evil."

Pryor was married six times. He and Flynn Pryor had a son, Steven. Previous children included another son, Richard, and daughters Elizabeth, Rain and Renee.

Daughter Rain became an actress. In an interview in 2005, she told the Philadelphia Inquirer that her father always "put his life right out there for you to look at. I took that approach because I saw how well audiences respond to it. I try to make you laugh at life."

[LaiSteve66]

R.i.p.

[eos]

no way...just the other day i was watching tv, something came up about him, and i thought that he passed away last year or something.

RIP

[Hiroshi2]

The fuck? I thought he was already dead, long time ago.

Well, at least he should've died when he did this ;) -

In 1980, he nearly lost his life when he suffered severe burns over 50 percent of his body while freebasing cocaine at his home. An admitted "junkie" at the time, Pryor spent six weeks recovering from the burns and much longer from drug and alcohol dependence.

When he was telling the story of that little incident.....................I swear I was on the floor. I don't know if I've laughed that hard in my life.

[Faithless]

Originally Posted by Hiroshi2

The fuck? I thought he was already dead, long time ago.

Well, at least he should've died when he did this ;) -

When he was telling the story of that little incident.....................I swear I was on the floor. I don't know if I've laughed that hard in my life.

They played this interview clip on the news, asking him if he'd any regrets. He said no.

I would think that I'd regret going over the deep end on a freebase fit and getting burned in the process.

If I recall, he wasn't that accepted with his comedy because he was pointed about race issues.

It wasn't until he did those movies they people start accepting him.

But he was still the same person with those honest insights. Funny what a little Hollywood imagery does for a person.

[Shuriken]

In 1980, he nearly lost his life when he suffered severe burns over 50 percent of his body while freebasing cocaine at his home. An admitted "junkie" at the time, Pryor spent six weeks recovering from the burns and much longer from drug and alcohol dependence.

“When you’re on fire and you’re running down the street, people will get out of your way.”

—Richard Pryor

[mr. x]

man i kept assuming the guy was like 40 at most...

[tvbdude]

who cares

[Marshall Law]

Originally Posted by tvbdude

who cares

FUCK YOU ASSHOLE....
















RIP Richard...

[Shuriken]

As I recall, Richard Pryor was the first above-the-title black movie star after Sidney Poitier blazed a lonely trail from the late ’50s to the early ’70s. (And some of Pryor’s movies in the ’80s were directed by Poitier.) Eddie Murphy (who co-starred with Pryor in 1989’s Harlem Nights) and the later hip-hop generation owe a lot to Richard.

Rest in peace.

[Dei Wong]

Originally Posted by Marshall Law

FUCK YOU ASSHOLE....











RIP Richard...

Yeah!!!!

[Faithless]

How many people knew this about Mr. Pryor. It's a reason to respect him more or dislike him like so many of the anti-PETA crowd. I like his support of this cause.

Mr. Pryor helped PETA bring about groundbreaking improvements in the way animals are raised and slaughtered for Burger King, Wendy's, Safeway and other fast-food and grocery outlets. He sent a letter to a South African court asking the magistrate to impose a maximum sentence on two men convicted of beating 30 young elephants captured from the wild. When he saw video footage showing chickens scalded alive when they were slaughtered for KFC restaurants, he appeared in an ad urging people to join him "in boycotting KFC restaurants until the company agrees to meet PETA's simple demands to eliminate the very worst abuses.".

Pryor & PETA

By Lisa Lange | Sunday, December 18, 2005

Richard Pryor was known for his biting humor that was both uproariously funny and poignantly insightful, for his unfettered use of language and for his Hollywood comedies. But we at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were privileged to know another side to Mr. Pryor.

For the last decade, he generously supported our campaigns, wrote letters and opinion pieces and appeared in advertisements. He made a point of being available when we needed help in drawing attention to abused animals. In 1999, we had the pleasure of honoring him with a Humanitarian Award at a gala celebration in Hollywood.

What we appreciated and loved about this generous man was his keen sense of justice. It was not enough for him to use his sharp humor to fight racial stereotypes. He wanted to end exploitation of all species. He hated oppression, whether the victims had two legs or four. Just last month he wrote of his disappointment in a black-owned circus and drew a clear comparison between the animals and his own ancestors:

"They were brought out of Africa and into chains in America. Or they were born into slavery here. Yes, I am talking about the first African-Americans to reach these shores, but I am also describing the animals now enslaved in circuses. The species and continents are different, but the stories are tragically similar.

"The animals in circuses are held against their will by chains and domination," he continued. "They are forced to perform a series of acts by coercion and violence because they would never normally do these things on their own. They can never choose their own partners, their own homes, their own food or have control over any aspect of their lives. I don't care how this is dressed up by promoters with music and lights, it is still slavery."

Mr. Pryor helped PETA bring about groundbreaking improvements in the way animals are raised and slaughtered for Burger King, Wendy's, Safeway and other fast-food and grocery outlets. He sent a letter to a South African court asking the magistrate to impose a maximum sentence on two men convicted of beating 30 young elephants captured from the wild. When he saw video footage showing chickens scalded alive when they were slaughtered for KFC restaurants, he appeared in an ad urging people to join him "in boycotting KFC restaurants until the company agrees to meet PETA's simple demands to eliminate the very worst abuses."

Perhaps most moving was his fervent support of our work to end pointless animal experiments by health charities. His own struggle with multiple sclerosis had a profound effect on his attitude toward medical experimentation. He didn't want to be the excuse for researchers to harm animals and was critical of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for their animal studies.

"Make sure the check you write to a charity doesn't pay for cruel experiments on animals," he warned the public. "Your donation should help end suffering -- not cause it."

In 1999, his Christmas card to friends and family depicted a monkey, mice and other animals running to freedom from a laboratory cage.

Those who knew him personally will miss the man. Those who knew his work will miss the performer. Those of us who saw how much he cared about everyone, regardless of species, will miss his compassion.

Lisa Lange is vice president of communications for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

[Irezumi Kiss]

Originally Posted by tvbdude

who cares

Many comedians working today of all races and many venues who showcase them and their various styles of comedy owe a large karmic debt to this man. You don't have to care, but don't sleep on how big dude truly was.

Hope he and Rodney are raising hell in heaven.

[yoMAMA]

RIP

[hkRT]

I remember watching some of his movies. Then he disappeared from showbiz for a long time. Only learned of his illness a few years ago.

Pryor once marveled "that I live in racist America and I'm uneducated, yet a lot of people love me and like what I do, and I can make a living from it. You can't do much better than that."

As I read the above statement, an incidence came to mind.
A while back, there was an old white female customer I met at work. Her last name is pronounced the same as Pryor. So I thought of actor Richard Pryor and used the same spelling. The customer then said No, it's Prior. So I apologized and told her that I thought it was the one with a y like many people. Then this woman replied she's not black, not that she has another against blacks. At that point, I was bothered by her remark. Didn't know why she would bring up race when it's all just name similarities. Somehow race just seems to matter to people still even though many would say it does not matter.

RIP.