Richard Pryor

Born: 1 December, 1940, in Illinois.

Died: 10 December, 2005, in Los Angeles, aged 65.

IN A colourful and much varied life the comedian Richard Pryor made several movies, appeared in TV specials and was a stand up comedian. It was as the latter that brought him acclaim in the United States: he was acerbic, foul-mouthed and had a formidable free-flowing energetic stage persona. He upset many with his swearing, caustic swipes at America and abject rudeness. Many, however, adored him. He himself was rather dismissive of most of his movies: such was his fame in 1983 he was paid the then unheard of fee of $4 million to appear in Superman lll: the largest fee then paid to a black actor. Pryor's career was sadly shortened when in 1986 he was diagnosed to be suffering from multiple sclerosis. Although this curtailed his career, it did not diminish his sense of humour and love of the outrageous.

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was born into abject poverty: his mother was a prostitute and his father unknown. He was brought up in his grandmother's brothel and was expelled from school at 14. He spent two years in the army from 1958 but that too was not successful. Out of necessity, Pryor started to sing in nightclubs but soon found the audience preferred his comic introductions to the songs. In 1963, he went to New York and slowly built up a reputation as a stand-up comedian on the club circuit. Within three years, Pryor was booked on to the prestigious Ed Sullivan Show and from there he regularly appeared at Las Vegas.

Pryor was never going to fit comfortably into the polite late night show routines. He had an abrasive and confrontational act, which did not sit easily even at Las Vegas. He was cast in a spectacular there in 1969 and one night decided he had had enough and walked off the stage. He went to Hollywood and returned to the fringe clubs.

Pryor proved an excellent screen actor and was soon being cast in minor roles: most notably in Lady Sings the Blues as Billie Holliday's drug addicted piano player. In all, he made over 50 films (several with Gene Wilder) and was particularly praised for the three roles he played in Which Way is Up? In 1983 he made the successful Superman lll. Nevertheless, Pryor went on record to say he considered his films "too formulaic and rather undistinguished".

Pryor was an artist of many talents. He started writing for television in the Seventies and was much praised for his contributions to the Lily Tomlin Show among others and in 1974 joined a team of writers (led by Mel Brooks) to make the hugely successful movie Blazing Saddles.

Pryor was a natural on television. He joined the equally outrageous John Belushi in 1977 in the smash hit comedy shows Saturday Night Live which lampooned the establishment and anyone in authority. It gained huge audiences. So successful were his appearances that NBC offered him a solo programme at the prime time of 8pm. The Richard Pryor Show promised much but he was worried that his material needed a later slot and was very uncomfortable about the studio's chosen format.

The first programme caused a storm of protest when Pryor appeared in close up saying he would never allow his material to be compromised. The camera drew back and it seemed that Pryor was totally nude (in fact he was wearing a body stocking). NBC banned the intro and Pryor was incensed. The ban had the effect of ensuring the scene was shown on every news channel in America. After the first four shows NBC cancelled the remaining six programmes.

Pryor always wanted to push back the borders of acceptability. He had an urge to question society and the white establishment in particular. Much of his material made audiences focus on the racial inequalities in America. He was always up front and controversial. When he was master of ceremonies at the Oscars ceremony in 1977, he underlined the point that the only black members of the Academy were Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte

Pryor's fame and popularity grew and by 1983 he signed a $40 million deal with Columbia Pictures to set up his own production company. There followed box-office hits such as Stir Crazy, Silver Streak and Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip.

In the US, Pryor is also recognised for his comedy shows and he did much to bring into the open black humour and urban street culture. He was never afraid to confront such subjects as sex, drug addiction, politics and talk of them in a raw and uncompromising manner. Pryor spoke of his own problems: cocaine addiction, drink, several tumultuous marriages, car accidents, heart by-pass surgery and multiple sclerosis with a frank and devastating honesty. The world's press wrote at length when he set himself on fire - taking cocaine - and suffered third degree burns over much of his body.

Pryor, with his Afro hairstyle and bushy moustache, was at his best as a stand up where he had a direct contact with an audience. Many of these shows are now available on disc and have earned him two platinum albums.

Pryor was indefatigable. He performed what he wanted, how he wanted. The studio system sometimes found that a bit difficult. His influence on American black theatre is undoubtedly considerable The music producer, Quincy Jones, said of him: "He was the Charlie Parker of comedy, a master of telling the truth that influenced every comedian that came after him."

After his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, he worked until the early Nineties: in 1992 he was seen in Hollywood's famous Comedy Store, in a wheelchair, making light of his illness and sending himself up with much good humour. Pryor also campaigned to stop medical testing on animals and led protests outside many of Hollywood's burger bars.

Pryor once said of his domestic arrangements: "I always married to end the relationship." He was married seven times (twice to Flynn BeLaine) and he is survived by his last wife, Jennifer Lee (whom he also married twice), and his seven children.