Biography
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, film director, social critic, satirist, writer, and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time: receiving ...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
2024
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
This rapturous documentary steps into the dynamic world of queer stand-up and examines the powerful cultural influence it has had on social change in ...

Remembering Gene Wilder
2024
as Self (archive footage)
This loving tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles, from his first col...

Zeitgeist: Requiem
2024
as Self (archive footage)
In the fourth installment of the Zeitgeist series, director Peter Joseph explorers the fundamental incompatibility of our economy and the culture it h...

Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight
2023
"Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight" covers renowned American artist Betye Saar’s large-scale work “Drifting Toward Twilight”— commissioned by The H...

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
2022
Original Film Writer
A hard-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats in need of a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's wicked plot to wipe their vil...

The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up
2022
as Self (archive footage)
In this comedy special, Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler and Dave Chappelle honor George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams and Richard Pry...

Live at Mister Kelly's
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin. It smash...

The Last Days of Richard Pryor
2020
as Himself
A two-hour television special on the life of Richard Pryor featuring interviews by those close to him, focusing on his contributions to standup comedy...

I Am Richard Pryor
2019
as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
The life story of Richard Pryor (1940-2005), the legendary performer and iconic social satirist who transcended racial and social barriers with his ho...

Richard Pryor: Icon
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Richard Pryor's impact on the craft of comedy and today's top comics is legendary and unrivaled. This program surveys the profound and enduring influe...

And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
as Self (archive footage)
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy ...

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise journeys through Brooks’ early years in the creative beginnings of live television — with Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows — ...

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Mike Epps, Richard Pryor Jr. and others recount the culture-defining influence of Richard Pryor - one of America's most brilliant, iconic comic minds.
Black and White Trypps Number Four
2008
Using a 35mm strip of motion picture slug featuring the recently deceased American comedian Richard Pryor, this extended Rorschach assault on the eyes...
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
2007
as Self (archive footage)
In the late 1950s, a fresh, unconventional style of standup comedy emerged in sharp contrast to the standard "Take my wife, please" approach. It tackl...

The N Word
2006
as Self (archive footage)
An exploration of the history of the word throughout its inception to present day. Woven into the narrative are poetry, music, and commentary from cel...

101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment
2003
From Disturbing Discoveries to Astonishing Arressts, and Tragic Endings. In this tv-special, E! countdowns the greatest moments in the entertainment i...

Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!
2003
as Self (archive footage)
This documentary praises comedian Richard Pryor by showing fragments of various shows Pryor made and having famous comedians talk about the importance...

A Huey P. Newton Story
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The story of how the radical Huey P. Newton developed the Black Panther Party based on his 10-point program for social reform.

Me, Myself & Irene
2000
as Stand-Up Comedian on TV (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rhode Island State Trooper Charlie Baileygates has a multiple personality disorder. One personality is crazy and aggressive, while the other is more f...

Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?
1999
as Self
For fans of comedy, Sam Kinison needs no introduction. His scathing comedy tackled tough topics no other comedian dared to touch. Fed up and disenfran...

Blacks and Jews
1997
as Self
This documentary attempts to go beyond the sensationalized media coverage and the stereotypes to examine several key conflicts from the point of view ...

Afro Promo
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Co-curated by Jenni Olson and the late Black gay activist Karl Knapper, this entertaining showcase of vintage movie trailers traces the evolution of A...

Lost Highway
1997
as Arnie
A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transfo...

Mad Dog Time
1996
as Jimmy the Gravedigger
With his boss in the madhouse, a mobster is temporary boss of the criminal empire just as vicious rivals threaten the control of the empire.
But... Seriously
1994
as Self (archive footage)
A documentary juxtaposing the events of the 20th century with the commentary of stand-up comedians.

The Three Muscatels
1991
as Narrator / Wino / Bartender
Donna Bon Viant (Belaine) is a college student, who has to complete an assignment on the 14th century for her African American literature class. She c...

Another You
1991
as Eddie Dash
George has been in a mental hospital for 3 years and is finally ready to go out into the real world again. Eddie Dash, a dedicated con-man, is suppose...
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
1990
as Self
Celebrating Sammy Davis Jr 's 60th anniversary in show business, including musical,comic and dancing performers.

Harlem Nights
1989
as Sugar Ray
'Sugar' Ray is the owner of an illegal casino and must contend with the pressure of vicious gangsters and corrupt police who want to see him go out of...

See No Evil, Hear No Evil
1989
as Wallace 'Wally' Karue
A murder takes place in the shop of David Lyons, a deaf man who fails to hear the gunshot being fired. Outside, blind man Wally Karue hears the shot, ...

Moving
1988
as Arlo Pear
Arlo accepts what seems to him to be a dream promotion to Idaho. He soon discovers, however, that moving has its own share of problems.

Critical Condition
1987
as Eddie Lenahan/Dr. Kevin Slattery
Eddie is a con artist. When he's framed and comes before a judge, he hopes to get off the hook by climbing insanity—but instead ends up in a hospital ...

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
1986
as Jo Jo Dancer / Alter Ego
Although Jo Jo Dancer has achieved success as a stand-up comedian, he hasn't found happiness. After receiving severe burns in a narcotics-related inci...

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
1986
Screenplay, Director, Producer
Although Jo Jo Dancer has achieved success as a stand-up comedian, he hasn't found happiness. After receiving severe burns in a narcotics-related inci...

TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
1986
as Self
A compilation film of stand up performances and comedy routines featuring some of the biggest stars in the early years of television. This film was di...

The Making of 'Superman III'
1985
as Self
This documentary treats movie fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Superman III, a more comical take on the superhero story in which the ...

Brewster's Millions
1985
as Montgomery Brewster
Monty Brewster, an aging minor-league baseball player, stands to inherit $300 million if he can successfully spend $30 million in 30 days without anyt...

Richard Pryor: Here and Now
1983
as Self
One of comedian Richard Pryor's later stand-up performances. As foul-mouthed as ever, Pryor touches on most of the same topics as in his previous live...

Richard Pryor: Here and Now
1983
Director, Writer
One of comedian Richard Pryor's later stand-up performances. As foul-mouthed as ever, Pryor touches on most of the same topics as in his previous live...

Superman III
1983
as August 'Gus' Gorman
Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yield...

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
1983
as Self
Television special taped before a live studio audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983, and broadcast on NB...

The Toy
1982
as Jack Brown
On one of his bratty son Eric's annual visits, the plutocrat U.S. Bates takes him to his department store and offers him anything in it as a gift. Eri...

Some Kind of Hero
1982
as Cpl. Eddie Keller / Ted Segal
A Vietnam vet returns home from a prisoner of war camp and is greeted as a hero, but is quickly forgotten and soon discovers how tough survival is in ...

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip
1982
as Self
Richard Pryor's stand-up act includes his frank discussion about his freebasing addiction, as well as the infamous night on June 9, 1980 that he caugh...

Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip
1982
Producer, Writer
Richard Pryor's stand-up act includes his frank discussion about his freebasing addiction, as well as the infamous night on June 9, 1980 that he caugh...

Bustin' Loose
1981
as Joe Braxton
After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country.

Bustin' Loose
1981
Story, Producer
After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country.

Stir Crazy
1980
as Harry Monroe
New Yorkers Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe have no jobs and no prospects, so they decide to flee the city and find work elsewhere, landing jobs wearing...

In God We Tru$t
1980
as G.O.D.
A naive monk, named Brother Ambrose, is sent by the abbot on a mission to raise $5,000 in order to save their monastery from closing. He goes to Holly...

Wholly Moses
1980
as Pharaoh
Harvey and Zoey, two tourists in Israel, discover an ancient scroll about Herschel, the man who was almost Moses. Herschel receives the command from G...

The Muppet Movie
1979
as Balloon Vendor
The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp ...

A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sesame Street celebrated its 10th anniversary in the spring of 1979 with a half-hour PBS special hosted by James Earl Jones titled A Walking Tour of S...

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
1979
as Self
Richard Pryor delivers monologues on race, sex, family and his favorite target—himself, live at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, California.

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
1979
Writer
Richard Pryor delivers monologues on race, sex, family and his favorite target—himself, live at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, California.

California Suite
1978
as Dr. Chauncey Gump
The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Wiz
1978
as The Wiz
Dorothy Gale, a shy kindergarten teacher, is swept away to the magic land of Oz where she embarks on a quest to return home.

Blue Collar
1978
as Ezekiel 'Zeke' Brown
Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly ...

Which Way Is Up?
1977
as Leroy Jones / Rufus Jones / Rev. Lenox Thomas
Orange picker Leroy Jones inadvertently becomes a union leader and is forced out of town, leaving behind his sex-obsessed father, Rufus, and timid spo...

The Richard Pryor show Volume 2
1977
as Self

The Richard Pryor Show Volume I
1977

Greased Lightning
1977
as Wendell Scott
The true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black stock car racing driver to win an upper-tier NASCAR race.

The Richard Pryor Special?
1977
as Self / Various
Richard Pryor wanders around the NBC Studio, encountering various eccentrics. Meanwhile, the Reverend James L. White, the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Da...

The Richard Pryor Special?
1977
Writer
Richard Pryor wanders around the NBC Studio, encountering various eccentrics. Meanwhile, the Reverend James L. White, the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Da...

Silver Streak
1976
as Grover Muldoon
A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no ...

Car Wash
1976
as Daddy Rich
This day-in-the-life cult comedy focuses on a group of friends working at Sully Boyar's Car Wash in the Los Angeles ghetto. The team meets dozens of e...

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
1976
as Charlie Snow
Top baseball pitcher Bingo Long is fed up with how his Negro League team owner treats him, so he forms his own lineup, recruiting big-hitting Leon Car...

Adiós Amigo
1975
as Sam Spade
Two incompetent Western outlaws engineer several failed crimes, including a botched stagecoach holdup. Fred Williamson, a tough-guy perennial in blaxp...

Carter's Army
1975
as Pvt. Jonathan Crunk
A racist officer is put in charge of an all-black squad of troops charged with the mission of blowing up an important hydro-dam in Nazi Germany. Their...
The Lion Roars Again
1975
as Self
A chronicle of the 1975 International Press Conclave hosted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over two days in May 1975.

Flip Wilson... Of Course
1974
as Self
Flip Wilson's stand-up special.

Uptown Saturday Night
1974
as Sharp Eye Washington
Two blue-collar buddies search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub holdup.

Blazing Saddles
1974
Screenplay
A town—where everyone seems to be named Johnson—stands in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, robber baron Hedley Lamarr sends his h...

Juke and Opal
1973
as Juke
“WINTER, 1973. Late afternoon: the entr'acte between dusk and darkness, when the people who conduct their business in the street -- numbers runners in...

Some Call It Loving
1973
as Jeff
A jazz musician falls in love with a comatose woman at a carny sideshow and takes her to his mansion to join his cabinet of sexual curiosities.

Lily
1973
TV special starring Lily Tomlin

Lily
1973
Writer
TV special starring Lily Tomlin

Hit!
1973
as Mike Willmer
A federal agent whose daughter dies of a heroin overdose is determined to destroy the drug ring that supplied her. He recruits various people whose li...

The Mack
1973
as Slim
Goldie returns from five years at the state pen and winds up king of the pimping game. Trouble comes in the form of two corrupt white cops and a crime...

Wattstax
1973
as Self
A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage ...

Lady Sings the Blues
1972
as Piano Man
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a s...

You've Got To Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat
1971
as Wino
This oddball counterculture comedy/drama follows Zalman King through a series of kooky misadventures while he searches for his life's purpose in New Y...

Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin'
1971
as Self
Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' is the first stand-up act of Richard Pryor to be filmed out of the four that were released in total. This film was f...

Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin'
1971
Writer
Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin' is the first stand-up act of Richard Pryor to be filmed out of the four that were released in total. This film was f...

Dynamite Chicken
1971
as Self
A collection of subversive comedy sketches and routines relating to the peace movement.

The Phynx
1970
as Richard Pryor
A rock band is invented by the government as a cover to find hostages in a remote castle in Albania held by communist enemies of the USA.

The Young Lawyers
1969
as Otis Tucker
Attorney Michael Cannon leaves his Boston law firm to become director of the Neighborhood Law Office, where he guides three law students on a case inv...

Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales
1969
A white man goes on trial for having raped a black woman.

Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales
1969
Writer
A white man goes on trial for having raped a black woman.

Wild in the Streets
1968
as Stanley X
Musician Max Frost lends his backing to a Senate candidate who wants to give 18-year-olds the right to vote, but he takes things a step further than e...

The Busy Body
1967
as Whittaker
Sid Caesar is a bumbling gopher to a mob boss who must recover a fortune in cash stowed in the suit of a corpse.