In the prime of his life, Richard Pryor was one of the most famous comedians on the planet. Even decades after his death, he’s considered one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time. In the new memoir Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me, Richard’s daughter, Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, shares what it was like growing up with a huge star for a father.
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“It’s so hard to know when you only have that one experience, so I can’t compare it, but he never really made me feel like we were to be treated differently or anything like that,” she told People.
Elizabeth Once Shared a Fear with Richard Pryor
Elizabeth recalled telling Richard Pryor that fan interactions sometimes frightened her. She said her dad knew just what to say to calm her childhood fear. “The only thing to worry about is when they stop,” Richard told his daughter.
Those words had a profound impact on Elizabeth, who realized just how much her father loved his fans. He understood that the fans helped make him who he was.
“I took that to heart. So I think he appreciated that people appreciated him and was humble on stage and off.”
Elizabeth shared just how much she adored Richard Pryor and loved having him as her father. She also admitted that even though life wasn’t easy, it was worthwhile.
“He was an amazing person, too. He was fun to be with at times. I mean, there were some unfun things, of course, but there was a way in which he was engaged and deep and connected to the people that he was around in a way that my mother simply… she wasn’t a creative. And I think maybe that was a product of his being a creative, that made it so special and sometimes terrifying to be around him.”
This story’s featured image is by George Rose/Getty Images
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