A new documentary about legendary comedian Richard Pryor heads to television next week. Titled I Am Richard Pryor, the film explores Pryor’s life and career: “From his first comedy album until his death of a heart attack in 2005, the revolutionary stand-up comedian dispensed what critics regarded as the most poignant and penetrating comedic view of African-American life ever afforded to the U.S. at large.†A long list of comedians, family members, and other collaborators of Pryor were interviewed for the documentary including Sandra Bernhard, Mike Epps, Lily Tomlin, Tiffany Haddish, Howie Mandel, and Pryor’s widow Jennifer Pryor. The documentary will make its world premiere at SXSW next Tuesday, March 12, then it heads to Paramount Network for its television debut on Friday, March 15, at 10 p.m., followed by an encore on Comedy Central at 11:30 p.m.
Check out a clip featuring Haddish and Epps reflecting on Pryor’s influence above and the full trailer for the documentary below: