Interview:
Jesse James Miller,
director,
"I Am Richard Pryor"
Directed by Jesse James Miller, I Am Richard Pryor offers a deep dive into the life and career of the ground-breaking comedian and film and TV star. The documentary examines Pryor’s upbringing in Peoria, Ill. — where his mother was a sex worker in the brothel his grandmother operated — and how it factored into his career in comedy. Miller follows Pryor’s efforts in the 1960s to cater to white America by emulating Bill Cosby and his embrace of his racial identity in the 1970s that found him finally speaking directly to an African-American audience while expanding his mainstream appeal through hit films and comedy albums. I Am Richard Pryor also chronicles his professional highs and his personal lows, including his drug addiction, which infamously led to him setting himself on fire in 1980, and his battle with MS until his 2005 death of a fatal heart attack. Pryor’s widow Jennifer Lee Pryor, who serves as an executive producer, shares details of their turbulent marriage. Miller also interviews Lily Tomlin, Jimmie Walker, Henry Jaglom, Tiffany Haddish, Car Wash director Michael Schultz, and Mike Epps, who was once cast to play Richard Pryor in a film biopic. I Am Richard Pryor will screen 2 p.m. March 16 at the AFS Cinema during the SXSW Film Festival. It also will air 9 p.m. March 15 on Comedy Central and the Paramount Network. I Am Richard Pryor also is available for streaming at (https://www.paramountnetwork.com). Jesse James Miller previously directed Uganda Rising, My American Exodus, Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story, and Punk, a TV series which is now airing on EPIX. Aired: March 14, 2019 Web site: https://www.iamrichardpryor.com https://www.paramountnetwork.com/episodes/2emz0c/i-am-i-am-richard-pryor-season-1-ep-11 https://www.facebook.com/iamnetworkentertainment/ https://schedule.sxsw.com/2019/films/2010821 |
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