Rain Pryor

Biography

Rain Pryor is an American actress and comedian. She is the daughter of comedian Richard Pryor. 

Pryor was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Shelley R. (née Bonus) and comedian Richard Pryor. Rain Pryor’s mother was a Jewish go-go dancer and Rain was largely raised with her Jewish maternal grandparents, who taught her about Jewish culture. Her award-winning solo show Fried Chicken and Latkes explores racism in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In regard to her background, Pryor has joked that while growing up she felt “proud, but guilty about it.”

She went on to star in the ABC series Head of the Class in the role of Theola June ‘T.J.’ Jones. Pryor’s role was created from a series of characters she performed at her audition for the producers. Pryor starred for several years as Jackie, the lipstick-lesbian drug addict on the Showtime series Rude Awakening, and has guest-starred on network television series such as The Division and Chicago Hope. She has appeared numerous times on both The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and The Tavis Smiley Show.

Pryor currently resides in Baltimore with daughter Lotus and husband, Dave Vane.