Richard Pryor Makes Emotional Return After Setting Himself on Fire | Carson Tonight Show

the next gentleman, you all know it's difficult, first of all, we are all very happy that he is here

tonight

, he is an extremely talented man and one thing you can say about Richard Pryor, he is a survivor and when he is, when it is. I don't think there's anyone funnier or more inventive than Richard Pryor and we're thrilled he's here

tonight

. Would you welcome Richie? Oh, you mean it. Good evening, he's back here and I should also probably mention the first black admiral. in the united states navy welcome back to the world my friend yes thank you everyone means it you know I don't know where to start first of all how do you feel don't do that to me when you walk On I wanted to go and I really want to hug you and so As soon as I did I said my God, he could be in terrible pain and he won't say anything.

The people I went to, I went out to a nightclub, uh. here in LA once and people beat me to death, right, I mean, it's good to see you back, you don't need that, huh, oh man, I'm just happy to be here, oh, thank you so much, are we happy to have you here, yes, how? How long? I mean, I'm trying to get the data. 17 years since you were since the accident. It must seem like 17 years. Sometimes, that was a long time ago. You know, I was surprised that it was actually very, very tactile. and well, it's no secret that when the reports appeared in the newspaper, they were very worried about whether you would make it.

I saw myself on television. They said he was going to die. a TV in my room and I pressed the button and turned it on and they said Richard Pryor is dying, that's not the good news, do you want to hear it? Listen, oh my God, I hope I die before 11 o'clock. I don't need that again uh oh it was something that was in the hospital it was funny when I got to the hospital I almost ran to the hospital yeah I don't know I know seriously I have Olympic records for God's sake because I was running so fast Johnny I ended up running with myself.

He was actually running next to me saying my pace. I was trying to get help. Yes, I got to the hospital and I was hysterical. You know, you understand what they call. shock, yeah, and I was in shock and the doctor grabbed me, do you know who I am? No, I'm Dr. Grossman, I'm the best, don't worry and steam was coming off my body, don't worry, yeah, okay, just please and I couldn't stand anything for the pain, you know, for about five weeks. I was in the hospital and finally one day a nurse told me why don't you ask for something for the pain.

I told him what he said, everything you have to do. all I can do is ask I said wait a minute man I've been here five weeks talking about ooh and all I had to do was ask they said yes and I asked him to shoot me for six more weeks and I want to say something . I know people say a lot of things about life, life, life is important because when that

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jumped on mine, all I could think about was life, I did it, I screamed for, I screamed for God and the son of God, mother of God, everyone I was trying.

Every religious symbol I could think of I was trying to call, you know what I mean, I didn't call it Bank of America once, I'm happy to be here, oh man, I'm really, really, really, I'm happy to be here with you . I'm especially glad, yes, yes, I know you do, how are you? Great, thanks, I called you a couple of times to see how you were doing, yeah man I was like I left you little messages, yeah you were talking to me on the phone. Yes, and I said thank you for the nice things you said about me.

Johnny said he didn't want to say a word. Did they ever send you the telegram because when you were there and they had the fight with Duran um oh yeah, me and Marlon? Brando was kind enough to send me, I guess it was a closed circuit so you could see the flight, so I texted him, told him you couldn't come to the phone and told him to tell Richie that the only reason why Brando sent on TV was that Marlon thinks you're Indian, did you understand that? No, you didn't understand that, huh? Did you know? Even though that fight was awesome, yeah, look, I made money in that fight, I want about, I want about a dollar and fifty cents yeah, yeah, 'cause I knew Duran ain't Jolan's, he's nasty, yeah, he saw it, did he?

Have you ever seen Tommy, hurry up, fight me, no, I missed that fight, man, my God, the man is nasty, the man is a welterweight, I don't see anyone? can yell

himself

maybe larry holmes yeah you don't want to hit those guys they get mad no this guy just got killed uh pinot caves caves after the first round creeper said I can't I could beat this guy and he had to go Go back another round and get more weapons. That's not a good profession. No, let me ask you this now. I don't want to be a disappointment.

Was there a time when you were going through all of this? You almost mean out of hell by that I never never understood that where you said this is I don't know death when real death is hanging around your bed you don't mean never see people always try to transfer their feelings I've heard people say , well I wouldn't want to be in that condition, I'd really like to go and I said, man, you can't say I wasn't in anything, it hurt me until the last week, man. They did a graft and they took some skin off my leg and that was the only pain that God made me feel and it hurt, oh, I mean, I was going, oh, my leg and the nurses said, man, you were burned. , why don't you talk about it? that I said that didn't hurt this hurts yeah no, I didn't no man I never thought about leaving here you must have heard from um thousands and thousands of letters and tell a lot of people people that I didn't even Probably that knew that yes, you sent me letters and Bibles and everything and I appreciate it.

I really thank you all very much and I am answering all the letters. I received one thing. I wrote some letters and received them. You know what? call it like they're photographed, a group of about 15,000 so far I only have fifteen thousand that I'm sending back so far, but I'm going to respond to everyone, so I want you to know that's amazing, let me take a place where you'll come back with Richie after this. Does it feel good to be in front of an audience again because you're an artist? He was really nervous, man, uh, I've been nervous coming here.

You know, I just said, "Oh my God." I don't know my mind could go blank or what happened either way, but it's really nice, thank you, it made me really feel, you know, I can't tell you, yeah, hey, I saw something on the National Investigate the other day without uh, sir goes into the why's and how the accident happened, it's not really too important because when someone suffers it hurts no matter how it happened, but the national investigator had a story about you the other day, yes sir, something about what it was that, now something. about your back on drugs I said I was back on drugs I read it you know it bothered me I didn't know people took it I didn't know you'd take it as a joke because I thought people believed that kind of stuff you know, and it bothered me , it really hurt me and I said, well, why in the world would anyone print and I couldn't understand it, so I called the national research people.

There is an Englishman who owns it, I suppose he is an editor. I talked to him I told him that's not true those are lies and he said well we've talked to several people and I told him but I don't care they lied to me you know it's not true your information is really incorrect I'm not there there's no more about that, so they sent a lady today. Talk to her. She was very nice, yeah, you know, but I don't know how people can just write a line, you just take it and make it up yourselves otherwise.

I don't give them an interview when they want one, they just say they'll do a story. Well, damn, could you check this? Want to talk with us. We are going to impose this on you. Yeah, oh yeah, I just want people. I know it's not about that, you know, without saying many other things, it's just not about that, right? Is this going to change your lifestyle a little? Do you think I know you're moving to Hawaii? Yes I am. build a house my first house I built a house in Hana oh I shouldn't have said, excuse me, but I built a house in Hunter and it's a pleasure to see you back on your old farm, yeah, and I built, built a house and fly, yeah , you know I fly a plane and I'm playing it, yeah, I didn't know I started flying, uh, I actually flew in the air last year because I was always afraid of the plane, did you take lessons here, no, no?

Here never take a lesson in LA Jack because no, no, it's not good, they're racing each other on the runway, but I got a plane there, I got a Grumman, yeah, and I got a single engine, I got your license turn, Yes, I have a student. pilot's license and I'm going to come back and finish and get my pilot's license because then I'm going to go to Africa. You know I'm on the plane, no, not on the plane. I'm going to send the plane to Africa because it's a small, small, small, yeah, but when I get to Africa I'll be able to fly around, be a doctor, some medicine, take some medicine, something you know, food or whatever, but I'm just going to order some albums or something, for sure.

I don't know right, you know, just take them to the album, no, but I'm just having a new adventure with the fly, yeah, it's funny, I had my idea, I always thought it was dumb, you know, at school they told me, dumb, silly you wanna Fly shut up so when I first flew solo I always thought it was something, it's not a big thrill the first time you look at an instructor who's not sitting there you flew yeah oh man I didn't know that , Yes, good. that's cool and the first time you take off from the ground and you look and the instructor isn't there, that's right and you have to bring that thing back, that's the point where you say and I got to land, the takeoff wasn't so bad, but you say oh, I have to remember all the things he taught me about this landing.

I landed like that the first time I landed, I went down, we all did the same thing, yeah, but in Hawaii it's fun because you can crash in the water. Why did you decide to move to Hawaii? Well, it's paradise, the place I'm talking about, I've never seen a place like this and the people are warm and brown, yeah, that's right, I mean, I was there in Mississippi. You're going to perform again, I hope so, I hope so, but I'm going to take a break for at least a week. I'm going to take some time off, you know, and enjoy it, yeah, but I think I know.

You say yes and I don't think you'll be happy sitting sitting for six seven eight months or you know, I think you have to get out. I can't sit still that long. Really I can not. I just do it. turns to me, I have to go out and do something, but this is exciting for me just knowing that, hey man, it's possible, anything is possible if you want to do something, yeah, I know because I know I was laying there and I had to do it. I found something in me that made me live and the only thing I thought about was getting better, yes, and you can do anything, people can do whatever they want, yes, yes, it's incredible, you won't stop acting because if there is something we need in this mix. crazy world there's a lot of laughter and uh, losing someone like you and not acting would be wrong, don't waste your time, gene wilder and i have a movie coming out in december.

It's funny too, sidney porter, uh, directed this crazy thing at us. Christmas, I have the movie here. I'm going to lift the light and take a look at it and I'm looking forward to that and another move with Cecily Tyson, that's really nice and I hope you like them. That's two that you already did before this happened, that's great, so I'm going to be out for a while enjoying it, are you going to be in in an hour? Yes, starting September 16. Oh, a week after this, we're going to do. oh, what are people going to do with that extra half hour?

Your turn, yeah, I think it's good, yeah, well, what are we going to do, we're going to come back and I'll do four

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s a week, right? I have been working all three. I'd rather go back and do it Tuesday to Friday and do the one hour

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because I think it would be a little bit quicker yeah and you'd get home quicker yeah you know what was going on that's a good man fly to below. and see you in Hawaii why couldn't we fly together start a new flight company the brothers bozo trans debris yes something like that think about these things good luck airlines we will take a break we will be back