People: Pryor statue coming to Illinois hometown
A yearslong effort to honor comedian Richard Pryor, who died in 2005, with a statue in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois, is coming to a conclusion.
Sculptor Preston Jackson will unveil the 9-foot bronze statue today.
For nearly nine years, Jackson dedicated himself to seeing the statue stand in Peoria, the city where the comedian and actor was born and raised. Along the way he had to overcome hesitancy from some in Peoria who objected to honoring an entertainer who abused drugs and was known for foul-mouthed humor.
“To me, I see it as kind of healing, because of Richard Pryor’s legacy and the love-hate, almost hate-hate, relationship with Peoria,” said Mark Misselhorn, chairman of the city Downtown Advisory Commission.
“He was an incredibly successful black actor and writer. His peers rank him at the top,” Misselhorn said. “… I think that this is recognizing his contribution, his legacy, his influence, and saying that we’re proud that he’s from Peoria now. And we want to tout that. We want to embrace that. And I think that’s good for everybody.”
Richie the new ‘Distracted’ boss
PopSugar’s workplace comedy “Seriously Distracted” will be back for another season with a new boss played by Nicole Richie.
Amy Sedaris led the ladies of Le Grande PR the first time around, but PopSugar Studios President David Grant said Thursday a new boss had been envisioned going forward.
Mae Whitman, who appeared in “Parenthood” and “The Duff,” will headline a new comedy on PopSugar that she produced, “All My Friends are Getting Married.” She plays Chloe, a single 20-something staring down six bachelorette parties.
“This show resonated huge with our staff,” Grant said ahead of the company’s NewFront presentation. “They’re all going through that period in life when they’re looking around saying, ‘I’m single, and I’ve got to go to six bachelorette parties in a row. How am I going to handle this?’ ”
Birthday bunch
Actor George Gaynes is 98. Movie historian and TV host Robert Osborne is 83. Singer Frankie Valli is 81. Sports announcer Greg Gumbel is 69. Singer Christopher Cross is 64.