Coordinates	23°33′″N46°38′″N
name	Freebase
logo
Url
Type	Online database
Content license	Creative Commons Attribution License
Owner	Metaweb Technologies
Launch date
Alexa	16,446
Footnotes	}}

Freebase is a large collaborative knowledge base consisting of metadata composed mainly by its community members. It is an online collection of structured data harvested from many sources, including individual 'wiki' contributions. Freebase aims to create a global resource which allows people (and machines) to access common information more effectively. It was developed by the American software company Metaweb and has been running publicly since March 2007. Metaweb was acquired by Google in a private sale announced July 16, 2010.

Freebase data is available for free/libre for commercial and non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution License, and an open API, RDF endpoint, and database dump are provided for programmers. Google's News Timeline includes media information from Freebase.

Overview

On March 3, 2007 Metaweb publicly announced Freebase, described by the company as "an open shared database of the world's knowledge," and "a massive, collaboratively-edited database of cross-linked data." Often understood as database model using wikipedia-turned-database or entity-relationship model, Freebase provides an interface that allows non-programmers to fill in structured, or 'meta-data', of general information, and to categorize or connect data items in meaningful, or 'semantic' ways.

Described by Tim O'Reilly upon their launch, "Freebase is the bridge between the bottom up vision of Web 2.0 collective intelligence and the more structured world of the semantic web."

Freebase contains data harvested from sources such as Wikipedia, ChefMoz, NNDB, and MusicBrainz, as well as individually contributed data from its users. The structured data is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, and a JSON based HTTP API is provided to programmers for developing applications on any platform to utilize the Freebase data. The source code for the Metaweb application itself is proprietary.

Freebase runs on a database infrastructure created in-house by Metaweb that utilizes a graph model. This means that instead of using tables and keys to define data structures, Freebase defines its data structure as a set of nodes and a set of links that establish relationships between the nodes. Because its data structure is non-hierarchical, Freebase can model much more complex relationships between individual elements than a conventional database, and is open for users to enter new objects and relationships into the underlying graph. Queries to the database are made in "Metaweb Query Language" (MQL).

Development

Danny Hillis first described his idea for creating a knowledge web he called Aristotle in a paper in 2000. But he said he did not try to build the system until he had recruited two technical experts as co-founders. Robert Cook, in parallel computing and database design, is Metaweb’s executive vice president for product development. John Giannandrea, formerly chief technologist at Tellme Networks and chief technologist of the Web browser group at Netscape/AOL, is the company’s chief technology officer.

Originally accessible by invitation only, Freebase opened full anonymous read access to the public in its alpha stage of development, and now requires registration only for data contributions.

On October 29, 2008, at the ISWC 2008, Freebase released its RDF service for generating RDF representations of Freebase topics, allowing Freebase to be used as Linked Data.

Organization and policy

Freebase's subjects (which often correspond to a Wikipedia article) are called ''topics'' and the data stored about them depend on their ''type'', how they are classified. For example, an entry for Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Governor of California, would be entered as a topic that would include a variety of types describing him as an actor, bodybuilder, and politician. Freebase has approximately 11.5 million topics as of April 2010.

Freebase's ontologies (structured categories), known in Freebase as "types" — are themselves user-editable. Each type has a number of defined predicates, called "properties".

[U]nlike the W3C approach to the semantic web, which starts with controlled ontologies, Metaweb adopts a folksonomy approach, in which people can add new categories (much like tags), in a messy sprawl of potentially overlapping assertions.

In this manner, Freebase differs from the wiki model in many ways. Users can create their own types, but these types aren't adopted in the 'public commons' until promoted by a Metaweb employee. As well, users cannot modify each other's types. The reason Freebase can't open up permissions of schemas is because external apps rely on them; thus changing a type's schema, for instance by deleting a property or changing a simple property, might break queries for API users and even within Freebase itself - in saved views, for example.

Metaweb promotes some users to ''expert status'', similar to Wikipedia's administrator policy, who are given some admin permissions.

The underlying data storage supports multilingual data, but every user’s display language is forcibly set to English. This will change at some point. the only access is via MQL.

Business and community

The Freebase system is built and patented by Metaweb, a for-profit company, which delivers targeted advertising on Freebase.com. In terms of Freebase's relationship with the open data community:

...we have no formal relationship with other open data projects. Though the definition of open data is pretty loose, we try to follow general open data principles by not restricting access to Freebase information to registered users, charging users to access our information, imposing restrictive licenses over the use of Freebase information, or using proprietary or closed technology as a barrier to accessing Freebase information.

Freebase is planning formal mappings of some of their types to established ontologies like FOAF, though this is not a priority.

In the future, the company hopes to also generate profit by organizing proprietary data.

Criticism

;Lack of Notability guideline: Unlike Wikipedia, Freebase has no notability guidelines. Instead, it permits any data that might be of interest to other people; it does not permit transient data or that of only personal interest. Under these guidelines, commercial content is permitted if it is structured, factual data. Because of this, some have raised concerns about spam. ;Denormalisation: A type or base created on Freebase cannot be edited by anyone but its creator. This is a policy to prevent inexperienced or malevolent users from breaking schemas. A result of this policy is that a half-complete schema cannot be improved by other users and must instead be reproduced completely, producing non-cooperative and often duplicate types. ;Information of absence: Freebase has no solution to ''Null, nothing, unknown or N/A'' values. The None topic is badly broken, because many people seem to share the same spouse. As it stands, if one were looking for "fires of unknown cause", one would look for missing causes, not knowing if the cause of the fire is really unknown or the data is missing. ;Bulk import tools: are used internally at Metaweb, but the reconciliation process for imported data has so far proved too complicated for public release, and public bulk tools are very limited. ;Multilingual implementation: Freebase has translations (or translation support) of many of its topics, but its types are currently implemented (or at least described) in natural language English, leading to challenges in developing a universal schema.

Popular applications

Google Refine - a power tool for data cleaning and discovery.

Powerset - a semantic search engine that searched Freebase for answers to natural-language questions (purchased by Microsoft and used in their Bing search engine)

Freebase genealogy - family-tree viewer

FMDb - a Freebase IMDB

Freebase sets - a clone of Google sets using Freebase data

Freebase Schema Explorer - a visualiser for Freebase's ontologies

Thinkbase - a visual graph-based exploration tool

Seevl - a music recommendation engine based on relationships from Freebase and DBpedia

Ranker - lets users build "top N" lists based on types and entities from Freebase

Ookaboo - Creative Commons images that illustrate more than 500,000 topics from Freebase

See also

DBpedia

YAGO

Cyc

True Knowledge

Semantic Web

Entity-relationship_model

References

External links

Freebase Blog

Freebase Wiki

Category:Semantic wikis Category:Knowledge bases Category:Alpha software Category:Creative Commons-licensed databases

fr:Freebase (web) pt:Freebase (banco de dados) uk:Freebase

Coordinates	23°33′″N46°38′″N
name	Craig Ferguson
birth date	May 17, 1962
birth place	Glasgow, Scotland
medium	Stand-up, television, film, music, books
nationality	Scottish, American
active	1980–present
genre	Observational comedy, satire/political satire/news satire
subject	Everyday life, popular culture, self-deprecation, politics
website	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''
spouse	Anne Hogarth (1983–86) (divorced)Sascha Corwin (1998–2004) (divorced) 1 childMegan Wallace-Cunningham (2008–present) 1 child
notable work	Host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''Nigel Wick on ''The Drew Carey Show''Glaswegian in ''One Foot in the Grave''Gobber in ''How to Train Your Dragon'' }}

Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS. In addition to hosting that program and performing stand-up comedy, Ferguson has written two books: ''Between the Bridge and the River'', a novel, and ''American on Purpose'', a memoir. He became a citizen of the United States in 2008.

Before his career as a late-night television host, Ferguson was best known in the United States for his role as the office boss, Nigel Wick, on ''The Drew Carey Show'' from 1996 to 2003. After that, he wrote and starred in three films, directing one of them.

Early life

Ferguson was born in the Stobhill Hospital in the Springburn district of Glasgow, Scotland to Robert and Janet Ferguson, and raised in nearby Cumbernauld, growing up "chubby and bullied". When he was six months old, he and his family moved from their Springburn apartment to a council house in Cumbernauld. They lived there as Glasgow was re-housing many people following damage to the city from World War II. Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. At age sixteen, Ferguson dropped out of Cumbernauld High School and began an apprenticeship to be an electronics technician at a local factory of American company Burroughs Corporation.

His first visit to the United States was as a teenager to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, near New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in Harlem. Ferguson later became a bouncer at a nightclub, Save the Robots.

Career

British career

Ferguson's experience in entertainment began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a punk band called The Bastards from Hell. The band, later renamed "Dreamboys", and fronted by vocalist Peter Capaldi, performed regularly in Glasgow from 1980 to 1982. Ferguson credits Capaldi for inspiring him to try comedy.

After a nerve-wrecking, knee-knocking first appearance, he decided to create a character that was a "parody of all the über-patriotic native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland." The character, "Bing Hitler" (actually coined by Capaldi as Ferguson started with the monogram of "Nico Fulton" but admittedly later stole the name for his "own nefarious ends"), premiered in Glasgow, and subsequently became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of his stage act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgow's Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for Burns Night") appears on the compilation cassette ''Honey at the Core.''

Ferguson's first television appearance was as Confidence on BBC sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' during the episode "Confidence and Paranoia".

Ferguson made his starring television debut in ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, which co-starred Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood. This was broadcast throughout the UK on 4 March 1990, but was not made into a full series.

He has also found success in musical theatre. Beginning in 1991, he appeared on stage as Brad Majors in the London production of ''The Rocky Horror Show'', alongside Anthony Head, who was playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter at the time. In 1994, Ferguson played Father MacLean in the highly controversial production of ''Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'' at the Union Chapel in London. The same year, he appeared again at the Edinburgh Fringe, as Oscar Madison in ''The Odd Couple'', opposite Gerard Kelly as Felix and Kate Anthony as Gwendolin Pidgeon, who is now much better known as Aunty Pam in ''Coronation Street''; the play, which was relocated to 1990s Glasgow, later toured Scotland.

After enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferguson appeared on ''Red Dwarf'', STV's ''Hogmanay Show'', his own show ''2000 Not Out'', and the 1993 ''One Foot in the Grave'' Christmas special ''One Foot in the Algarve.''

In 1993, Ferguson presented his own series on Scottish archaeology for Scottish Television entitled ''Dirt Detective.'' He travelled throughout the country examining archaeological history, including Skara Brae and Paisley Abbey.

U.S. career

After cancellation of his show ''The Ferguson Theory'', Ferguson moved to Los Angeles in 1994. His first U.S. role was as baker Logan McDonough on the short-lived 1995 ABC comedy ''Maybe This Time'', which starred Betty White and Marie Osmond.

His breakthrough in the U.S. came when he was cast on ''The Drew Carey Show'' as the title character's boss, Mr. Wick, a role that he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the role with an over-the-top posh English accent "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." In his comedy special "A Wee Bit O' Revolution", he specifically called out James Doohan's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on Star Trek as the foundation of his "revenge". (At the end of one episode, though, Ferguson broke the fourth wall and began talking to the audience at home in his regular Scottish accent.) His character was memorable for his unique methods of laying employees off, almost always "firing Johnson", the most common last name of the to-be-fired workers. Even after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the last two seasons, and was part of the 2-part series finale in 2004.

During production of ''The Drew Carey Show'', Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing, working in his trailer on set in-between shooting his scenes. He wrote and starred in three films: ''The Big Tease'', ''Saving Grace'', and ''I'll Be There'', which he also directed and for which he won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas and Valencia film festivals. He was named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. These were among other scripts that, "... in the great tradition of the movie business, about half a dozen that I got paid a fortune for but never got made." His other acting credits in films include ''Niagara Motel'', ''Lenny the Wonder Dog'', ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', ''Chain of Fools'', ''Born Romantic'', ''The Ugly Truth'', ''How to Train Your Dragon'', ''Kick-Ass'' and ''Winnie the Pooh''.

Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a stand-up comedy show, and performed at Carnegie Hall on 23 October 2010.

''The Late Late Show''

In December 2004, it was announced that Ferguson would be the successor to Craig Kilborn on CBS's ''The Late Late Show''. His first show as the regular host aired on 3 January 2005. By May 2008, Ben Alba, an American television historian and an authority on U.S. talk shows, said Ferguson "has already made his mark, taking the TV monologue to new levels with an underlying story. But he is only just starting ... He is making up his own rules: It's the immigrant experience."

''The Late Late Show'' averaged 2.0 million viewers in its 2007 season, compared with 2.5 million for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. In April 2008, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' beat ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts.

By the end of 2009, Craig Ferguson topped Jimmy Fallon in the ratings with Ferguson getting a 1.8 rating/6 share and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating/6 share.

Ferguson's success on the show has led at least one "television insider" to say he is the heir apparent to take over David Letterman's role as host of ''The Late Show''.

Television and appearances

Craig Ferguson has made guest appearances on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', ''Rachael Ray'', ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Daily Show'', ''The View'', ''Loveline'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', ''The Soup'', ''The Talk'' and ''The Dennis Miller Show''. He also co-hosted ''Live with Regis & Kelly'' with Kelly Ripa.

On 4 January 2009 Ferguson was a celebrity player on ''Million Dollar Password''.

thumb|272px|Ferguson in April 2008

In 2009, Ferguson made a cameo live-action appearance in the episode "We Love You, Conrad" on ''Family Guy''. Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards on 10 January 2006. ''TV Guide'' magazine printed a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section) for appearing on his own show that same evening. From 2007 to 2010, Ferguson hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, broadcast nationally by CBS. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at the 26 April 2008 White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC.

Ferguson co-presented the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama with Brooke Shields in 2008. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's evil alter-ego in the "With Friends Like Steve's" episode of ''American Dad''; in ''Freakazoid!'' as Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor; and on ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. Most recently, he was the voice of Susan the boil on ''Futurama'', which was a parody of Scottish singer Susan Boyle. He makes stand-up appearances in Las Vegas and New York City. He headlined in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and in October 2008 Ferguson taped his stand up show in Boston for a Comedy Central special entitled ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'', which aired on 22 March 2009.

British television comedy drama ''Doc Martin'' was based on a character from Ferguson's film ''Saving Grace'' – with Ferguson getting writing credits for 12 episodes. On 6 November 2009 Ferguson appeared as himself in a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' special titled ''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''. He hosted Discovery Channel's 23rd season of ''Shark Week'' in 2010. Ferguson briefly appeared in Toby Keith's ''"Red Solo Cup"'' music video released on 10 October 2011.

Literature

Ferguson's novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' (ISBN 9780811853750) was published on 10 April 2006. Ferguson appeared at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, as well as other author literary events. "This book could scare them", Ferguson said. "The sex, the violence, the dream sequences and the iconoclasm. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with that. I understand that. It was very uncomfortable to write some of it." ''Publishers Weekly'' called it "a ''tour de force'' of cynical humor and poignant reverie, a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." His novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' is dedicated to his son and to his grandfather, Adam. Ferguson revealed in an interview that he is writing a sequel to the book, to be titled "The Sphynx of the Mississippi". He also stated in a 2006 interview with David Letterman that he intends for the book to be the first in a trilogy.

Ferguson signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish his memoirs. The book, entitled ''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'', focuses on "how and why [he] became an American" and covers his years as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer and construction worker as well as the rise of his career in Hollywood as an actor and comic. It went on sale 22 September 2009 in the United States. On 1 December 2010 the audiobook version was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy.

In July 2009, Jackie Collins was a guest on ''The Late Late Show'' to promote her new book ''Married Lovers''. Collins said that a character in her book, Don Verona, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his show.

Personal life

As mentioned on ''The Late Late Show'' on 3 August 2009, Ferguson holds an FAA Private Pilot's License issued 31 July 2009. Ferguson announced on the 8 April 2011 broadcast that he is pursuing an instrument rating.

Ferguson is also a fan of Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C. as well as the British television show Doctor Who.

Ferguson has three tattoos: his latest, the Join, or Die political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin motto ''Dulcius ex asperis'' ("Sweeter out of [or from] difficulty") on his upper right arm in honour of his father; and the Ingram family crest on his upper left arm in honour of his mother. He has often stated that his ''Join, or Die'' tattoo is to signal his patriotism.

Family

In an episode of ''The Late Late Show'' that aired 8 December 2008, a sombre Ferguson talked about his mother, Janet (3 August 1933 – 1 December 2008). He ended the program by playing her favourite song, "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M.

Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. His elder sister's name is Janice and his brother's name is Scott. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, is also a successful comedienne, presenter, and actress, perhaps most widely known as the voice of Mac in the 2000 stop-motion animation film ''Chicken Run''. She is currently a writer on ''The Late Late Show''.

Ferguson has married three times and divorced twice as a result of what he describes as "relationship issues". His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, during which time they lived in New York. From his second marriage (to Sascha Corwin, founder and proprietor of Los Angeles' SpySchool), he has one son, Milo Hamish Ferguson, born in 2001. He and Corwin share custody of Milo, and live near each other in Los Angeles. On 21 December 2008, Ferguson married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont. Ferguson announced 14 July 2010 on Twitter that they were expecting a child. He wrote: "Holy crackers! Mrs F is pregnant. How did that happen? ... oh yeah I know how. Another Ferguson arrives in 2011. The world trembles." The child, a boy named Liam James, was born 31 January 2011.

Alcohol problems

A recovering alcoholic, Ferguson has been sober since 18 February 1992. Because of this, he declared he wouldn't mock Britney Spears' much-publicized alcohol problems in 2007. He said he had considered committing suicide on Christmas Day 1991, but when offered a drink by a friend for celebrating the holiday, he was distracted from jumping off Tower Bridge in London as he had planned.

Citizenship

Holding dual citizenship, Ferguson is both a naturalized citizen of the United States and a British citizen.

During 2007, Ferguson, who at the time held only British citizenship, used ''The Late Late Show'' as a forum for seeking honorary citizenship from every state in the U.S. He has received honorary citizenship from Nebraska, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and was "commissioned" as an admiral in the tongue-in-cheek Nebraska Navy. Governors Jon Corzine (New Jersey), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Sanford (South Carolina), Mike Rounds (South Dakota), Rick Perry (Texas), Sarah Palin (Alaska) and Jim Gibbons (Nevada) sent letters to him that made him an honorary citizen of their respective states. He received similar honors from various towns and cities, including Ozark, Arkansas; Hazard, Kentucky; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Ferguson became an American citizen on 1 February 2008 and broadcast the taking of his citizenship test as well as his swearing in on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992	''The Bogie Man''
1998	''Modern Vampires''	Richard
1999	''The Big Tease''	Crawford Mackenzie	Writer
2000		Melander Stevens
2000	''Born Romantic''	Frankie
2000		Matthew Stewart	Writer
2002	''Life Without Dick''	Jared O'Reilly
2002	''Prendimi l'anima'' (''The Soul Keeper'')	Richard Fraser
2003		Paul Kerr	Director, Writer
2004	''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''	Person of Indeterminate Gender
2004	''Lenny the Wonder Dog''	Dr. Wagner
2005		Fisherman
2006	''Niagara Motel''	Phillie
2007		Ted Truman
2008	''Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit O' Revolution''
2009		Himself
2010	''The Hero of Color City''
2010		Gobber	Voice only
2010		Himself
2011			Voice only
2011	''Totally Framed''	Jeffrey Stewart
2012		Lord Macintosh	Voice only
2012		David	Post-production
2014	''How to Train Your Dragon 2''	Gobber	Voice only

+Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1988	''Red Dwarf''	Confidence
1989	''The Big Gig''	Himself	Regular Comic
1993	''One Foot in the Grave''	Glaswegian beach bully	Christmas Special "One foot in the Algarve"
1994	''The Dirt Detective: A History of Scotland''	Travel documentary series	Host
1994	''The Ferguson Theory''	Himself	Host
1995–1996	''Maybe This Time''	Logan McDonough	18 episodes
1995–1997	''Freakazoid!''	Roddy MacStew	7 episodes
1996–2004	''The Drew Carey Show''	Nigel Wick	170 episodes
2000	''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command''	NOS 4 A2	Voice only, 5 episodes
2005		Oliver Davies	1 episode
2005–present	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''	Himself	Host
2006	''American Dad!''	Evil Barry	Voice only, Episode: ''With Friends Like Steve's''
2009	''Family Guy''	Himself	Episode: ''We Love You, Conrad''
2009	''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''	Himself	TV movie
2010	''Futurama''	Susan Boil	Episode: ''Attack of the Killer App''
2010	''Shark Week''	Himself	Host
2010	''Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon''	Gobber	Voice only, TV short film

Bibliography

''Between the Bridge and the River''. Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0811853756, ISBN 0811858197.

''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot''. HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 0061719544.

Comedy specials

''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'' (Comedy Central) 2009

''Does This Need to Be Said?'' (EPIX, Comedy Central) 2011

Discography

''Live At The Tron'' (as Bing Hitler). Jammy Records, 1986. Catalogue number JRLP 861.

References

External links

Craig Ferguson on Twitter

Craig Ferguson Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

Craig Ferguson and Megan Wallace Cunningham

''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''

Category:1962 births Category:American aviators Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American novelists Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Glasgow Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People with nocturnal enuresis Category:Scottish comedians Category:Scottish emigrants to the United States Category:Scottish memoirists Category:Scottish novelists Category:Scottish screenwriters Category:Scottish television actors Category:People from Cumbernauld Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California

de:Craig Ferguson es:Craig Ferguson fr:Craig Ferguson it:Craig Ferguson ja:クレイグ・ファーガソン no:Craig Ferguson pl:Craig Ferguson ru:Фергюсон, Крейг simple:Craig Ferguson fi:Craig Ferguson sv:Craig Ferguson zh:克雷格·费格斯

Coordinates	23°33′″N46°38′″N
name	Richard Pryor
birth name	Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor
birth date	December 01, 1940
birth place	Peoria, Illinois, United States
death date	December 10, 2005
death place	Encino, California, United States
death cause	Heart attack
nationality	American
medium	Stand-up, film, television
active	1958–1999
genre	Satire, observational comedy, black comedy, Improvisational comedy, character comedy
subject	Racism, race relations, United States politics, African-American culture, human sexuality, self-deprecation, everyday life, recreational drug use
influences	Lenny Bruce, Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Redd Foxx, Paul Mooney
Influenced	George Carlin, Martin Lawrence, George Lopez, Denis Leary, Eddie Izzard, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Hicks, Robin Williams, Lewis Black Colin Quinn, Bernie Mac, Joe Rogan, Louis C.K., Patton Oswalt Artie Lange, and Jim Norton
Notable work	''That Nigger's Crazy'' ''Bicentennial Nigger'' Himself in ''Richard Pryor: Live in Concert'' and ''Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip'' Zeke Brown in ''Blue Collar'' Grover T. Muldoon in ''Silver Streak'' Harry Monroe in ''Stir Crazy'' Gus Gorman in ''Superman III''
spouse	Patricia Price (1960–1961; divorced) 1 child Shelley R. Bonis (1968–1969; divorced) 1 child Deborah McGuire (1977–1978; divorced) Jennifer Lee (1979–1982; divorced) Flynn Belaine (1986–1987; divorced) 2 children Flynn Belaine (1990–1991; divorced) Jennifer Lee (2001–2005; widow)
website	RichardPryor.com

}}

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of his era: Jerry Seinfeld called Pryor "The Picasso of our profession"; Bob Newhart has called Pryor "the seminal comedian of the last 50 years.". This legacy can be attributed, in part, to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. As Bill Cosby reportedly once said, "Richard Pryor drew the line between comedy and tragedy as thin as one could possibly paint it."

His body of work includes the concert movies and recordings ''Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin''' (1971), ''That Nigger's Crazy'' (1974), ''...Is It Something I Said?'' (1975), ''Bicentennial Nigger'' (1976), ''Richard Pryor: Live in Concert'' (1979), ''Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip'' (1982), and ''Richard Pryor: Here and Now'' (1983). He also starred in numerous films as an actor, such as ''Superman III'' (1983) but was usually in comedies such as ''Silver Streak'' (1976), and occasionally in dramatic roles, such as Paul Schrader's film ''Blue Collar'' (1978). He collaborated on many projects with actor Gene Wilder. Another frequent collaborator was actor/comedian/writer Paul Mooney.

Pryor won an Emmy Award (1973), and five Grammy Awards (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, and 1982). In 1974, he also won two American Academy of Humor awards and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998. Pryor is listed at "Number 1" on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians.

Early life

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor grew up in his grandmother's brothel, where his mother, Gertrude Thomas, practiced prostitution. His father, LeRoy "Buck Carter" Pryor was a former bartender and boxer.

After his mother abandoned him when he was 10, he was raised primarily by his grandmother Marie Carter, a violent woman who would beat him for any of his eccentricities. Pryor was one of four children raised in his grandmother's brothel. He was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.

He was expelled from school at the age of 14. His first professional performance was playing drums at a night club. Pryor served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960, but spent virtually the entire stint in an army prison. According to a 1999 profile about Pryor in ''The New Yorker'', Pryor was incarcerated for an incident that occurred while stationed in Germany. Annoyed that a white soldier was a bit too amused at the racially charged sections of Douglas Sirk's movie ''Imitation of Life'', Pryor and some other black soldiers beat and stabbed him, though not fatally. According to ''Live on the Sunset Strip'', when he was 19, he worked at a Mafia-owned nightclub in Youngstown, Ohio, as the MC. On hearing that they would not pay a stripper friend of his, he attempted to hold up the owners with a cap pistol. The owners were greatly amused.

During this time, Pryor's girlfriend gave birth to a girl named Renee. Years later, however, he found out that she was not his child. In 1960, he married Patricia Price and they had one child together, Richard Jr. (his first child and first son). They divorced in 1961.

Career

Early career

In 1963, Pryor moved to New York City and began performing regularly in clubs alongside performers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Allen. On one of his first nights, he opened for singer and pianist Nina Simone at New York's Village Gate. Simone recalls Pryor's bout of performance anxiety:

Inspired by Bill Cosby, Pryor began as a middlebrow comic, with material far less controversial than what was to come. Soon, he began appearing regularly on television variety shows, such as ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''The Tonight Show''. His popularity led to success as a comic in Las Vegas. The first five tracks on the 2005 compilation CD ''Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974)'', recorded in 1966 and 1967, capture Pryor in this era.

In September 1967, Pryor had what he called in his autobiography ''Pryor Convictions'' an "epiphany" when he walked onto the stage at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas (with Dean Martin in the audience), looked at the sold-out crowd, exclaimed over the microphone "What the fuck am I doing here!?", and walked off the stage. Afterward, Pryor began working profanity into his act, including "nigger". His first comedy recording, the eponymous 1968 debut release on the Dove/Reprise label, captures this particular period, tracking the evolution of Pryor's routine. Around this time, his parents died — his mother in 1967 and his father in 1968.

In 1967, his second child and first daughter, Elizabeth Ann, was born to his girlfriend Maxine Anderson. Later that year, he married Shelley Bonis. In 1969, his third child and second daughter, Rain Pryor, was born. Pryor and Bonis divorced later that year.

Mainstream success

In 1969, Pryor moved to Berkeley, California, where he immersed himself in the counterculture and rubbed elbows with the likes of Huey P. Newton and Ishmael Reed. He signed with the comedy-oriented independent record label Laff Records in 1970, and in 1971 recorded his second album, ''Craps (After Hours)''. In 1973, the relatively unknown comedian appeared in the documentary ''Wattstax'', where he riffed on the tragic-comic absurdities of race relations in Watts and the nation. Not long afterward, Pryor sought a deal with a larger label, and after some time, signed with Stax Records. His third, breakthrough album, ''That Nigger's Crazy'', was released in 1974 and, Laff, who claimed ownership of Pryor's recording rights, almost succeeded in getting an injunction to prevent the album from being sold. Negotiations led to Pryor's release from his Laff contract. In return for this concession, Laff was enabled to release previously unissued material, recorded between 1968 and 1973, at will.

During the legal battle, Stax briefly closed its doors. At this time, Pryor returned to Reprise/Warner Bros. Records, which re-released ''That Nigger's Crazy'', immediately after ''...Is It Something I Said?'', his first album with his new label. With every successful album Pryor recorded for Warner (or later, his concert films and his 1980 freebasing accident), Laff would quickly publish an album of older material to capitalize on Pryor's growing fame—a practice they continued until 1983. The covers of Laff albums tied in thematically with Pryor movies, such as ''The Wizard of Comedy'' for his appearance in ''The Wiz'', ''Are You Serious?'' for ''Silver Streak'', and ''Insane'' for ''Stir Crazy''.

In the 1970s, Pryor wrote for such television shows as ''Sanford and Son'', ''The Flip Wilson Show'' and a Lily Tomlin special, for which he shared an Emmy Award. During this period, Pryor tried to break into mainstream television. He was a guest host on the first season of ''Saturday Night Live''. Richard took long time girlfriend, actress-talk show host Kathrine McKee (sister of Lonette McKee) with him to New York, and she made a brief guest appearance with Pryor on ''SNL''. He participated in a "racist word association" skit with Chevy Chase.

''The Richard Pryor Show'' premiered on NBC in 1977, but was canceled after only four episodes. Television audiences did not respond to the show's controversial subject matter, and Pryor was unwilling to alter his material for network censors. During the short-lived series, he portrayed the first African-American President of the United States, spoofed the ''Star Wars'' cantina, took on gun violence, and in another skit, used costumes and visual distortion to appear nude.

In 1974, Pryor was arrested for income tax evasion and served 10 days in jail. He married actress Deborah McGuire in 1977, but they divorced in 1978. He soon began dating Jennifer Lee and they married in 1981. They divorced the following year.

In 1979, at the height of his success, Pryor visited Africa. Upon returning to the United States, Pryor swore he would never use the word "nigger" in his stand-up comedy routine again. (However, his favorite epithet, "motherfucker", remains a term of endearment on his official website.)

In the 1970s and 1980s, Pryor appeared in several popular films, including ''Lady Sings the Blues''; ''The Mack''; ''Uptown Saturday Night''; ''Silver Streak''; ''Which Way Is Up?''; ''Car Wash''; ''Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings''; ''Greased Lightning''; ''Blue Collar'' & ''Bustin' Loose''. In 1982, Pryor co-starred with Jackie Gleason in ''The Toy''.

In 1983, Pryor signed a five-year contract with Columbia Pictures for $40,000,000. This resulted in the gentrification of Pryor's onscreen persona and softer, more formulaic films like ''Superman III'', (which earned Pryor $4,000,000), ''Brewster's Millions'', ''Stir Crazy'', ''Moving'', and ''See No Evil, Hear No Evil''. The only film project from this period that recalled his rough roots was Pryor's semi-autobiographic debut as a writer-director, ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'', which was not a major success. Though he made four films with Gene Wilder, the two comic actors were never as close as many thought, according to Wilder's autobiography.

Pryor co-wrote ''Blazing Saddles'', directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder. Pryor was to play the lead role of Bart, but the film's production studio would not insure him, and Mel Brooks chose Cleavon Little instead. Before his infamous 1980 freebasing accident, Pryor was about to start filming Mel Brooks' ''History of the World, Part I'', but was replaced at the last minute by Gregory Hines. Pryor was also originally considered for the role of Billy Ray Valentine on ''Trading Places'', before Eddie Murphy won the part.

Despite a reputation for profanity, Pryor briefly hosted a children's show on CBS in 1984 called ''Pryor's Place''. Like ''Sesame Street'', ''Pryor's Place'' featured a cast of puppets, hanging out and having fun in a surprisingly friendly inner-city environment along with several children and characters portrayed by Pryor himself. However, ''Pryor's Place'' frequently dealt with more sobering issues than ''Sesame Street''. It was canceled shortly after its debut, despite the efforts of famed puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft and a theme song by Ray Parker, Jr. of ''Ghostbusters'' fame.

Pryor co-hosted the Academy Awards twice, and was nominated for an Emmy for a guest role on the television series, ''Chicago Hope''.

Pryor developed a reputation for being difficult and unprofessional on film sets, and for making unreasonable demands. In his autobiography ''Kiss Me Like a Stranger'', co-star Gene Wilder says that Pryor was frequently late to the set during filming of ''Stir Crazy'', and that he demanded, among other things, a helicopter to fly him to and from set. Pryor was also accused of using allegations of on-set racism to force the hand of film producers into giving him more money. Also from Wilder's book:

In 1989, he appeared in ''Harlem Nights'', a comedy-drama crime film starring Eddie Murphy. It was a financial success, grossing 3½ times the amount it cost to make it (worldwide) and is well known for starring three generations of black comedians (Pryor, Murphy, and Redd Foxx).

Personal life

Health problems

Pryor suffered a mild heart attack in November 1977. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986. By the early 1990s, he was confined to using a wheelchair as well as a motor powered scooter for the remainder of his life to get around when his multiple sclerosis began to take its toll on his body. In 1990, Pryor suffered a second and more severe heart attack and underwent triple heart bypass surgery.

The freebasing incident

On June 9, 1980, during the making of the film ''Bustin' Loose'', Pryor set himself on fire after freebasing cocaine while drinking 151-proof rum. He ran down Parthenia St. from his Northridge, California, home, on fire, until subdued by police. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for burns covering more than half of his body. Pryor spent six weeks in recovery at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital. His daughter, Rain Pryor, stated that Pryor poured high-proof rum over his body and set himself on fire in a bout of drug-induced psychosis.

Pryor incorporated a description of the incident into his "final" comedy show ''Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip'' in 1982. He joked that the event was caused by dunking a cookie into a glass of low-fat and pasteurized milk, causing an explosion. At the end of the bit, he poked fun at people who told jokes about it by waving a lit match and saying, "What's this? It's Richard Pryor running down the street."

After his "final performance", Pryor did not stay away from stand-up comedy long. In 1983, he filmed and released a new concert film and accompanying album, ''Richard Pryor: Here and Now'', which he directed himself. In 1986, he wrote and directed a fictionalized account of his life, ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' which revolved around the 1980 freebasing incident.

In 1984, his fourth child and second son, Steven, was born to his girlfriend Flynn Belaine. Pryor married Belaine in October 1986. They divorced in July 1987. Before their divorce was final, Belaine conceived Kelsey Pryor. Meanwhile, another of Pryor's girlfriends, Geraldine Mason, gave birth to Franklin Mason, his fifth child and third son, in April 1987. Six months later in October 1987, Belaine gave birth to Kelsey Pryor, Richard's sixth child and third daughter.

Marriages

Pryor was married seven times to five different women: #Patricia Price (1960–1961, divorced) with one child named Richard Pryor Jr. #Shelly Bonis (1967–1969, divorced) with one child named Rain Pryor #Deborah McGuire (September 22, 1977 – 1979, divorced) #Jennifer Lee (August 1981 – October 1982, divorced) #Flynn Belaine (October 1986 – July 1987, divorced) with son Steven (born before the marriage) and daughter Kelsey (before divorce finalized) #Flynn Belaine (1 April 1990 – July 1991, divorced) #Jennifer Lee (June 29, 2001 – December 10, 2005, his death)

His marriages were characterized by accusations of domestic violence and spousal abuse, except for his relationship with Belaine. Most of these allegations were connected to Pryor's drug use. The exception was Patricia Price, who was married to Pryor before his rise to stardom. During his relationship with Pam Grier, Pryor proposed to Deborah McGuire (1977).

He had six children: Richard Jr., Elizabeth, Rain, Steven, Franklin and Kelsey.

Later life

In his later years starting in the early 1990s, Richard Pryor used a power operated vehicle/scooter due to multiple sclerosis (M.S., which he said stood for "More Shit"). He appears on the scooter in his last film appearance, a small role in David Lynch's ''Lost Highway'' (1997) playing an auto repair garage manager named Arnie.

In 1998, Pryor won the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. According to former Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker,

In 2000, Rhino Records remastered all of Pryor's Reprise and WB albums for inclusion in the box set ''...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968–1992)''.

In early 2000, he appeared in the cold open of The Norm Show in the episode entitled "Norm vs. The Boxer". He played an elderly man in a wheel chair who lost the rights to in-home nursing when he kept attacking the nurses, before attacking Norm himself (using a body double).

In 2001, he remarried Jennifer Lee, who also had become his manager.

In 2002 a television documentary depicted Pryor's life and career. Broadcast in the UK as part of the Channel 4 series ''Kings of Black Comedy'', it was produced, directed and narrated by David Upshal. It featured rare clips from Pryor's 1960s stand-up appearances and movies such as ''Silver Streak'', ''Blue Collar'', ''Stir Crazy'', and ''Richard Pryor Live In Concert''. Contributors included Whoopi Goldberg, Dave Chappelle, Lily Tomlin, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Ice-T, and Paul Mooney. The show tracked down the two cops who rescued Pryor from his "freebasing incident", former managers and even school friends from Pryor's home town of Peoria, Illinois. In the US the show went out as part of the ''Heroes of Black Comedy'' series on Comedy Central, narrated by Don Cheadle.

In 2002, Pryor and his wife and manager, Jennifer Lee Pryor, won legal rights to all the Laff material, which amounted to almost 40 hours of reel-to-reel analog tape. After going through the tapes and getting Richard's blessing, Jennifer Lee Pryor gave access to the tapes to Rhino Records in 2004. These tapes, including the entire ''Craps'' album, form the basis of the double-CD release ''Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974)''.

A 2003 television documentary, ''Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!'' consisted of archival footage of Pryor's performances and testimonials from fellow comedians, including Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Wanda Sykes, and Denis Leary, on Pryor's influence on comedy.

In 2004, Pryor was voted #1 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. In a 2005 British poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Pryor was voted the 10th greatest comedy act ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

In late 2004, his sister said he had lost his voice as result of his M.S. However, on January 9, 2005, Pryor's wife, Jennifer Lee, rebutted this statement in a post on Pryor's official website, citing Richard as saying: "I'm sick of hearing this shit about me not talking... not true... I have good days, bad days... but I still am a talkin' motherfucker!"

Pryor was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. The animal rights organization PETA gives out an award in Pryor's name to people who have done outstanding work to alleviate animal suffering. Pryor was active in animal rights and was deeply concerned about the plight of elephants in circuses and zoos.

Death

On December 10, 2005, nine days after his birthday, Pryor suffered a heart attack in Encino, California. He was taken to a local hospital after his wife's attempts to resuscitate him failed. He was pronounced dead at 7:58 am PST. He was 65 years old. His widow Jennifer was quoted as saying, "At the end, there was a smile on his face." He was cremated and his ashes were given to family.

Remembrance and legacy

A planned biopic entitled "Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?" is being produced by Chris Rock and Adam Sandler. The film will star Marlon Wayans as the young Pryor. Other actors previously attached include Mike Epps and Eddie Murphy. The film will be directed by Bill Condon and is scheduled for a 2011 release.

On December 19, 2005, BET aired a Pryor special. It included commentary from fellow comedians, and insight into his upbringing.

An image of Pryor can be seen on the Rage Against the Machine music video for their Soulsonic Force cover of "Renegades of Funk".

There is a street just west of the downtown Peoria area named in his honor.

On March 1, 2008, fellow comedian George Carlin performed his final HBO special. An image of Pryor can be seen in the background throughout his set.

Discography

Albums

;Official canon

''Richard Pryor'' (Dove/Reprise, 1968)

''Craps (After Hours)'' (Laff Records, 1971, reissued 1993 by Loose Cannon/Island)

''That Nigger's Crazy'', (Partee/Stax, 1974, reissued 1975 by Reprise)

''...Is It Something I Said?'', (Reprise, 1975, reissued 1991 on CD by Warner Archives)

''Bicentennial Nigger'', (Reprise, 1976)

''Wanted: Live in Concert'' (2-LP set), (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)

''Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1982)

''Here and Now'', (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)

;Others

''L.A. Jail'', (Tiger Lily, 1976)

''Are You Serious ???'', (Laff, 1977)

''Who Me? I'm Not Him'', (Laff, 1977)

''Black Ben The Blacksmith'', (Laff, 1978)

''The Wizard of Comedy'', (Laff, 1978)

''Outrageous'', (Laff, 1979)

''Insane'', (Laff, 1980)

''Holy Smoke!'', (Laff, 1980)

''Rev. Du Rite'', (Laff, 1981)

''Richard Pryor Live!'' (picture disc), (Phoenix/Audiofidelity, 1982)

''Supernigger'', (Laff. 1983)

Compilations

''Pryor Goes Foxx Hunting'', (Laff. 1973)

* Split LP with Redd Foxx, containing previously released tracks from ''Craps (After Hours)''

''Down And Dirty'', (Laff. 1975)

* Split LP with Redd Foxx, containing previously released tracks from ''Craps (After Hours)''

''Richard Pryor Meets... Richard & Willie And... The SLA!!'', (Laff. 1976)

* Split LP with black ventriloquist act Richard And Willie, containing previously released tracks from ''Craps (After Hours)''

''Richard Pryor's Greatest Hits'', (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)

* Contains tracks from ''Craps (After Hours)'', ''That Nigger's Crazy'', and ''...Is It Something I Said?'', plus a previously unreleased track from 1975, "Ali".

''...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968–1992)'' (9-CD box set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino, 2000)

* Box set collection containing all Warner Bros. albums plus a bonus disc of previously unissued material from 1973 to 1992.

''The Anthology (1968–1992)'' (2-CD set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino, 2002 in music/2002)

* Highlights culled from the albums collected in the ''...And It's Deep Too!'' box set.

''Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966–1974)'' (2-CD set) (Warner Bros. Records/Rhino, 2005)

* Pryor-authorized compilation of material released on Laff, including the entire ''Craps (After Hours)'' album.

Filmography

''The Busy Body'' (1967)

''Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales'' (1968)

''Wild in the Streets'' (1968)

''Black Brigade'' (1970)

''The Phynx'' (1970)

''You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat'' (1971)

''Dynamite Chicken'' (1972)

''Lady Sings the Blues'' (1972)

''The Mack'' (1973)

''Wattstax'' (1973)

''Hit!'' (1973)

''Some Call It Loving'' (1973)

''Uptown Saturday Night'' (1974)

''The Lion Roars Again'' (1975)

''Adios Amigo'' (1976)

''Car Wash'' (1976)

''The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings'' (1976)

''Silver Streak'' (1976)

''Which Way Is Up?'' (1977)

''Greased Lightning'' (1977)

''Blue Collar'' (1978)

''The Wiz'' (1978)

''California Suite'' (1978)

''Richard Pryor: Live in Concert'' (1979)

''The Muppet Movie'' (1979) (cameo)

''Wholly Moses'' (1980)

''In God We Tru$t'' (1980)

''Stir Crazy'' (1980)

''Bustin' Loose'' (1981)

''Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip'' (1982)

''Some Kind of Hero'' (1982)

''The Toy'' (1982)

''Superman III'' (1983)

''Richard Pryor: Here and Now'' (1983)

''Motown 25'' (1983)

''Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin''' (1985)

''Brewster's Millions'' (1985)

''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' (1986)

''Critical Condition'' (1987)

''Moving'' (1988)

''See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' (1989)

''Harlem Nights'' (1989)

''The Three Muscatels'' (1991)

''Another You'' (1991)

''A Century of Cinema'' (1994)

''Mad Dog Time'' (1996)

''Lost Highway'' (1997)

''The Norm Show'' (1999, Cameo in Opening of Season 2, Episode 11)

''Bitter Jester'' (2003)

''I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$@!! (2003)

''Richard Pryor: The Funniest Man Dead Or Alive'' (2005, BET Special)

''Black Dynamite'' (2009) Cameo via archive footage

References

External links

Richard Pryor: Stand-Up Philosopher, ''City Journal,'' Spring 2009

Post by Richard Pryor on his official website rebutting voice-loss rumors

Richard Pryor's KFC Cruelty Billboard

Richard Pryor's Ancestry

''Bright Lights Film Journal'' career profile

;Obituaries

Category:1940 births Category:2005 deaths Category:African American comedians Category:African American film actors Category:American film actors Category:American social commentators Category:American stand-up comedians Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Disease-related deaths in California Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Mark Twain Prize recipients Category:People from Peoria, Illinois Category:Deaths from multiple sclerosis

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Coordinates	23°33′″N46°38′″N
Currentteam	New York Giants
Currentnumber	72
Currentposition	Defensive end
Birth date	November 16, 1981
Birth place	London, England
Highlights	2× Pro Bowl selection (2005, 2007) 2× All-Pro selection (2005, 2010) PFWA Most Improved Player of the Year (2005) Super Bowl champion (XLII) NFC Defensive Player of the Month (October 2010) Giants record: Most sacks in a game (6) NFL record for most forced fumbles in a season (10)
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	261
Debutyear	2003
Debutteam	New York Giants
College	Troy
Draftyear	2003
Draftround	2
Draftpick	56
Status	Active
Pastteams	New York Giants (–present)
Statweek	16
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	303
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	58.0
Statlabel3	Interceptions
Statvalue3	0
Nfl	UME444955 }}

Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the New York Giants. Umenyiora is one of three British-born players to have won a Super Bowl ring, joining Scott McCready and Giants teammate Lawrence Tynes. He missed the 2008 season, undergoing surgery for knee cartilage damage suffered during an exhibition against the New York Jets. Umenyiora has been selected for the Pro Bowl twice, and holds the Giants franchise record for most sacks in one game, coming against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007.

Biography

Umenyiora was born in Golders Green, London to Nigerian parents. His family moved back to Nigeria and later to Auburn, Alabama, where he started playing football in high school. Of Igbo descent, his full first name means in Igbo "from today things will be good".

High school

He attended Auburn High School with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Demarcus Ware and Washington Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington.

College career

At Troy University, Umenyiora became a starter at defensive end in his junior year after starting his career as a defensive tackle. He shifted to nose guard as a sophomore. He started 36 of 48 games for the Trojans.

In 2002, as a senior, he was honorable mention All-American after starting every game at right defensive end.

Professional career

Pre-draft measureables

{{nfl predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 3 | weight = 279 | dash = 4.60 | ten split = | twenty split = | shuttle = | cone drill = | vertical = 38 | broad ft = | broad in = | bench = 26 | wonderlic = 26 | arm span = | hand span = | note = 40 and vertical from Troy State Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine. }}

New York Giants

2003

Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round (56th pick overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy State University, now Troy University. He was number 72. As a rookie in 2003, he played in 13 games with one start.

2005

Umenyiora established himself as a premier pass rusher in 2005, his first year as a starter. His stellar play earned All-Pro recognition and a trip to the Pro Bowl. Umenyiora achieved 14.5 sacks and 70 tackles, second only to the sixteen sacks obtained by Derrick Burgess of the Oakland Raiders.

On December 23, 2005, the Giants signed Umenyiora to a six-year contract extension for $41 million with $15 million guaranteed.

2006

In 2006, Umenyiora started 11 regular season games (missing 5 games with a strained hip flexor) and the NFC Wild Card Game at right defensive end.

2007

In the fourth game of the 2007 season, Umenyiora set a Giants franchise record by recording six sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles. At that point in the season, the Giants had 12 sacks, tying the NFL record. He recorded his second career touchdown on October 21 against the San Francisco 49ers when he sacked Trent Dilfer, forced a fumble, recovered the fumble and ran 75 yards for the score.

By the end of the season, Umenyiora's 13 sacks helped the Giants to an NFL regular season-leading 53 sacks. The Giants had a surprise victory in Super Bowl XLII over the New England Patriots, in part because of their strong pass rush performance. Umenyiora had four tackles in that game, three of which were solos. Umenyiora made a second Pro Bowl appearance in 2007.

2008

During a preseason game against the New York Jets, Umenyiora suffered cartilage damage in his left knee and was required to undergo season-ending surgery. The finding by team physician Dr. Russell Warren was that Umenyiora suffered a torn lateral meniscus.

Umenyiora joined ESPN's Monday Night Football crew on October 13, 2008.

2010

On November 5, 2010, Osi Umenyiora was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month after recording 18 tackles (10 solo), 7.0 sacks, and six forced fumbles in the Giants' four October wins.

2011

On July 29, 2011, Umenyiora did not report on the opening day of the Giants' training camp. As a result the Giants placed him on Reserve/Did Not Report. He reported to camp late the following day. Umenyiora has claimed that general manager Jerry Reese promised to renegotiate his contract after the 2010 season, but failed to do so.

Umenyiora began practising with his teammates on August 15, but after three practises he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The team expect him to miss the season opener against the Washington Redskins on September 11.

Statistics

''Source:''

		Tackles						Fumbles
! Year	! Team	! G	! GS	! Total	! Solo	! Sck	! Sfty	! FF	! FR
		13	1	20	13	1.0	0	1	0
		16	7	58	40	7.0	0	3	4
		16	16	70	48	14.5	0	4	2
		11	11	31	24	6.0	0	1	0
		16	16	52	40	13.0	0	5	2
		16	11	29	19	7.0	0	4	4
		16	16	48	33	11.5	0	10	1
'''Total		104	78	308	217	60	0	28	13

Personal life

Umenyiora resides in Cleveland, Georgia and Edgewater, New Jersey. In 2008, he made a cameo appearance in the music video "I Luv Your Girl" by The-Dream. Umenyiora is one of only three British-born players to win a Super Bowl, along with Scott McCready and teammate Lawrence Tynes. He had a relationship with Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks.

References

External links

Profile at ESPN

The Giants

Current Stats

Category:American football defensive ends Category:Troy Trojans football players Category:New York Giants players Category:English people of Igbo descent Category:Igbo players of American football Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:English players of American football Category:People from Auburn, Alabama Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Edgewater, New Jersey Category:People from Golders Green Category:Auburn High School (Alabama) alumni Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:Black English sportspeople Category:1981 births Category:Living people

da:Osi Umenyiora fr:Osi Umenyiora pt:Osi Umenyiora