Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor (1940-2005) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer, and master of ceremonies. He was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues that employed colorful vularities and profanity as well as racial epithets. Pryor reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style and is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential comedians of his era; Jerry Seinfeld called him "the Picasso of our profession." This legacy can be attributed in part to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. He won an Emmy Award, five Grammy Awards, two American Academy of Humor Awards, and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998. He occupies first place on Comedy Central's list of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time.