Richard Pryor lived a life tailor made for his standup routine. Pryor passed away from a heart attack in 2005, and in the near decade since his death a film adaption has yet to hit the silver screen.
Earlier today (July 2), Nick Cannon announced that he’s preparing to play Prior in a new film to be directed by Lee Daniels. The actor/host doesn’t have the part yet but has been “doing the work” to pull off the Pryor role. Before Cannon, Mike Epps was said to be in the running to portray the comic legend.
Whoever lands the job will have big shoes to fill because a comedy great like Pryor only comes around once in a lifetime. Whether he was talking about his relationship troubles (he got married seven time to five different women) or his drug addiction, there was never a dull moment when Pryor touched the stage.
As Quincy Jones said after Pryor’s death, “He was the Charlie Parker of comedy, a master of telling the truth that influenced every comedian that came after him.”
There’s no denying his impact.
Hit the gallery for 10 facts about the comedian, and check out a clip from Richard Pryor: Live On The Sunset Strip below.
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Photo: YouTube
