Tiffany Haddish and Mike Epps are some of the comedians set to be included in a TV documentary about Richard Pryor.
“I Am Richard Pryor” is being produced to air on the Paramount Network at a later date, Variety reported Thursday, Oct. 12. Executive produced by Pryor’s widow, Jennifer Lee Pryor, it will give viewers a look at the late icon’s beginnings — including growing up in a brothel his grandmother ran — and his rise to comic stardom as the highest-paid act in the industry.
American comedian Richard Pryor (1940 – 2005) during a stage show, circa 1977. (Photo by Fotos International/Getty Images)
Aside from Haddish and Epps, other comedians, collaborators and filmmakers interviewed for the project for Pryor, who died in 2005, include “Good Times” star Jimmie Walker, Lily Tomlin, Howie Mandel and Sandra Bernhard. Footage of Pryor’s acts will also be included, like his those from his stand-up specials and sketches from “The Richard Pryor Show” and appearances from Tomlin’s TV specials.
“From very humble beginnings, my husband lifted himself up and propelled himself through an iconic comedy career during America’s rockiest years, tackling racism, transcending boundaries, finding himself and inspiring many,” Jennifer Lee Pryor said in a statement about the film, which is part of a series of documentaries in the “I Am” series. “I am confident that Network Entertainment will produce an outstanding film about my husband that does him justice both as a cultural icon and as a man.”
Online, some of the crew involved in the doc’s development have shared their excitement.
“Thrilled to play a small part in this doc. It’s going to be great!” said Vancouver-based filmmaker @eastvanbob.
“It’s officially real. The last year of my life has been building to this film. And I’m so f–king proud to be a small cog in the machine that made this,” photographer @keziacaptures tweeted.
And audio producer/engineer and sound mixer Chris McIntosh remarked, “Always loved his comedy and now we get to mix a film about him!”
