In his lifetime, Richard Pryor was a comedy legend.
Though his groundbreaking eponymous sketch show only lasted for four episodes in the 1970s, it went on to pave the way for such future sketch shows as “In Living Color” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.”
But even though NBC didn’t have the foresight to give the controversial comedian his flowers in his heyday, Richard Pryor taught a master class with each of his standup specials. A straight line, in fact, can be drawn from Pryor’s 1979 classic “Live in Concert” (which can be seen on Netflix now) and Eddie Murphy’s 1987 legendary stand-up comedy film, “Raw.”
Any comedian, Black or white, worth his or her mettle cites Richard Pryor as an inspiration for their career, if not the confidence to get up in front of a live studio audience every night.
It’s then, perhaps, not surprising that upon Pryor’s death in 2005, he left behind a $40 million net worth (per Celebrity Net Worth) — a net worth which his seven children, today, enjoy and honor with proud legacies of their own. Though they may live in the shadow of their gutsy, infamous father, they too are making a good name for themselves.
Let’s take a look at Richard Pryor’s greatest legacy: his children.
Editorial note: The net worth listed in this piece is a speculative estimate drawn from a variety of online sources.
Renée Pryor
Renée Pryor is the first child of Richard Pryor, born to the comedian when he was just 16 years old. Though she was briefly mentioned in a People story shortly after her father’s death in 2005, little else is known about her.
Richard Pryor Jr.
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Richard Pryor Jr. is the comedian’s eldest son. In 2019, he wrote a memoir called “In A Pryor Life,” where he talked about the experience he had growing up as the son of the legendary comedian.
Elizabeth Pryor
Elizabeth Pryor is a professor at Smith College, where she teaches about race relations in America, according to Karen Brown Reports. Elizabeth Pryor actually had a memorable TEDTalk, where she talked about the history of the “N-Word” in America, which many critics noted was quite interesting given her father’s relationship with the word.
Rain Pryor
Rain Pryor is, perhaps, the best known of all of Richard Pryor’s children. She’s an accomplished actress who has starred on such shows as “Head of the Class” and “Rude Awakening,” according to her IMDb page. What’s more, she also wrote a memoir about her time growing up as Richard Pryor’s daughter called “Jokes My Father Never Taught Me.”
Stephen Michael Pryor
Little is known about Stephen Michael Pryor, born in 1984.
Franklin Pryor
Franklin Matthew Pryor is Richard Pryor’s youngest son, and he’s a stand-up comedian like his father. Professionally, he goes by the name Mason Pryor, and you can see a clip of one of his live performances below.
Kelsey Pryor
Kelsey Pryor is Richard Pryor’s youngest child. Not much is known about her, as she prefers to live a life out of the spotlight.