Differences Between Richard Pryor And Bill Cosby

Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby, both famous for their standup comedy, have their own unique way of delivering their comedy to their audiences. These two African Americans have both made names for themselves through their standup comedy and films. The differences between their styles of comedy gave each their own fame. They both are famous for the films that each performed in. Their unique styles and characteristics made them who they are. Richard Pryor was born December 1, 1940, in Peoria, Illinois. He was the class clown in school and a community theater actor in his teens. For much of his youth, Pryor was left in his grandmother’s care and lived in a brothel that she ran. There is some speculative belief that he was sexually abused as a child. To step away from his grim reality, Pryor found solace in going to the movies. At the age of 14, Pryor was expelled from school and resulting in working a various string of jobs until he joined the military in 1958. He served in the
army for two years and was discharged for fighting with another soldier. By the late 1960s, Pryor had landed a few small parts on the big screen. Appearances include The Busy Body (1967) and Wild in the Streets (1968). He released his first self-titled comedy album around this time. Pryor was a skilled social satirist with a fondness for profanity. His comedy style, full of profanities and full of controversy, led him to become one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and 1980s. Pryor had much admiration for comedians Bill Cosby and Dick Gregory. Continuing to thrive professionally, Pryor worked with Mel Brooks on the screenplay for western spoof Blazin’ Saddles (1974). Pryor’s own work was attracting much attention. Despite his X-rated content, his third comedy album sold extremely well and the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1974, a feat Pryor repeated the next two years. Pryor went on to star in the box office hit Silver Streak (1976) with Gene Wilder and Greased Lightning (1977) with Beau Bridges. Pryor went on to win a Grammy Award for Live on Sunset Strip, which was considered his best recording, in 1982. He also starred in Some Kind of Hero (1982) with Margo Kidder, The Toy (1982) with Jackie Gleason, and Superman III (1983) with Christopher Reeves. Other films included Critical Condition (1987), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Harlem Nights (1989). Pryor was married five times, twice to Jennifer Lee, whom he spent his final years with.
Confined to a wheelchair, he was carried to the stage to still perform his stand-up and acting. Even though his multiple sclerosis kept him from preforming in his last few years before his death in December 10, 2005, Pryor’s mind continued to catalog events of his life. Pryor will never lose his position as cultural icon. Bill Cosby was born July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pa. Cosby grew up in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood as the oldest of four boys. Financially, the Cosby’s were doing as well as they could, until his father, William Sr., began to drink heavily. Cosby’s father then enlisted in the Navy and Bill Cosby had to become like a parent to his brothers while his mother, Anna, worked cleaning houses. He and his family ended up living in a low-income housing project in his neighborhood. At the age of eight, Cosby suffered a tremendous loss when his brother James, the second oldest,
died. Cosby started shining shoes to help out when he was nine. Despite their hardships, Cosby’s mother stressed the importance of a good education. She often read to Bill and his brother’s, including the works of Mark Twain. A gifted story teller himself, Cosby learned that humor could be a way to make friends and to get what he wanted. One of his teachers noted “William should become either a lawyer or an actor because he lies so well.” Cosby started imitating comedians such as Jerry Lewis at home. Cosby dropped out of school and worked various odd jobs till joining the U.S. Navy in 1956. During his military service, Cosby earned his high school diploma. After leaving the Navy, he went to Temple University where he had been given a track scholarship. While at Temple, Cosby landed a job as a bartender at a coffee house. He told jokes there, and eventually landed work filling in for the house comedian at a nearby club. He soon started preforming at a place in New York City. Like Richard Pryor, Cosby found inspiration in such comedians as Dick Gregory. Cosby decided to drop out of school in his junior year of college. Cosby toured extensively, winning over fans along the way. In 1963, Cosby made an appearance on The Tonight Show, which helped introduce him to a national audience. Cosby soon landed a recording contract and released his first comedy album; Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow… Right! That same year, Cosby won his first Grammy Award in 1964 for I Started Out as a Child. For the remainder of the 1960s, Cosby released hit album after hit album, winning another five Grammy’s. In 1965, Cosby starred with Robert Culp in the espionage series I Spy. From 1969 to 1971, Cosby starred in his own sitcom The Cosby Show. On the big screen, Cosby enjoyed box office success, co-starring with Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, with Uptown Saturday Night in 1974. Cosby appeared opposite Poitier in the comedy smash let’s Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977). In 1984, The Cosby Show debuted with the characters sharing traits of his wife Camille and their four daughters and one son. The Cosby Show ended its run in 1992. Cosby still found time for other projects, including Leonard Part 6 (1987) and Ghost Dad (1990). In 1986, Cosby became a bestselling author, his reflections on parenting titled Fatherhood, which sold more than 2.6 million copies. Cosby also gained great popularity for his Jell-O commercials. In 1996, Cosby returned to the sitcoms with Cosby. While working on the Cosby sitcom, his only son Ennis was killed in 1997, while changing a flat tire. Over the past century, few entertainers have achieved the legendary status of Cosby. His successes span five decades, remarkable accomplishments for a child who came from humble beginnings in a Philly project. Both of these two comedians grew up in poverty and have made it big. Richard Pryor, using his life experiences in his comedy and Bill Cosby using his family experiences in his comedy. The use of profanity in Pryor’s comedy is what set him aside from other comedians, paving the way for others. Cosby uses clean comedy about his family.

http://www.biography.com/people/richard-pryor-9448082 http://www.biography.com/people/bill-cosby-9258468 http://richardpryor.com/biography.php http://www.billcosby.com/site/the-artist.html