Richard Pryor might be long gone. But Eddie Murphy is still holding the late comedian to a $100,000 bet he lost.
The year was 1985 and Murphy just released his musical debut album “How Could It Be.” It turns out, his idol and friend in comedy Richard Pryor didn’t think the young rising comic could release an album that didn’t include any jokes.
Pryor was so doubtful that he bet Murphy $100,000 that he wouldn’t release a music album.
“When I told him I was doing a musical album, he bet me $100,000 that I wouldn’t put out a music album where there’s no jokes or nothing, it’s just all music,” Murphy revealed
on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”.“He said, ‘You’ll never do it.’ And I bet him $100,000. And then I did it, and he never paid me.”
One of the dedications Murphy included on the album cover, was one to Pryor that made a nod toward their bet.
“To Richard Pryor, my idol, with whom I have a $100,000 bet. No motherf—–, I didn’t forget.”
Pryor likely felt like he made up for it by co-starring in Murphy’s 1989 comedy classic “Harlem Nights.” The film had a domestic opening of $16,096,808 and went on to earn $95 million at the box office for a film that reportedly cost $30 million to make.
Richard Pryor passed away in December 2005 from a heart attack at age 65. The comedy legend is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most important stand-up comedians of all time.
Murphy has opened up about his first time meeting Pryor on an airplane during his 1980 to 1984 run on “Saturday Night Live.”
“I went over and I gave it. I said, ‘Mr. Pryor, I’m Eddie. Will you listen to my–‘ He said, ‘Oh yeah, I know who you are,'” Murphy recalled.
“He put the cassette in, put on the headphones,” Murphy shared on “The Late Late Show With James Corden”. “I was sitting behind him, watching him listening to my record. That was my first time meeting him.”
Murphy recalled hearing Pryor laughing at his album with his “weird laugh” and when the plane landed, Pryor offered Murphy a ride home.
“He had his driver [meet] him at the airport with his car. He said, ‘Which way are you going?'” Murphy said. “He drove me to the house I was staying at. That’s the way I met my idol, like that.”
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