Richard Pryor

Richard Franklin Lenox Thomas Pryor (b. December 1, 1940) is an American actor and comedian born in Peoria, Illinois.

He was known for his frequent use of the curse words and the racial epithet "nigger". Later in his career, after a trip to Africa, Pryor swore he would never use the word in his comedy routine. He has appeared in several popular films including The Toy, Superman III, Brewster's Millions, Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, and Movin.

In the 1980s Pryor set himself on fire, apparently a suicide attempt. At the time his manager tried to protect him by claiming that he had accidentally set himself on fire while free-basing cocaine. In 1986 Pryor announced that he suffers from multiple sclerosis. He is currently confined to a wheelchair. In 1998 Pryor won the inaugural Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.