DJ Pryor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DJ Pryor
Birth name	Deztin J. Pryor
Born	Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.
Medium	Actor/Stand-up comedian
Years active	2012–present
Spouse	Shanieke Pryor (m. 2015)
Children	3

Deztin J. Pryor, known as D.J. Pryor, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is famous for his funny performances and for a viral video with his son, Kingston. In this video, they had a "conversation" that showed how important it is for parents and children to interact.

Early Life and Comedy Beginnings

Deztin Pryor grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. He also lived in Richmond, Virginia for a while. Later, his family moved to Clarksville, Tennessee because his father was in the military. DJ Pryor is the oldest of 12 children.

When he was a kid, his grandmother let him watch funny shows by Bill Cosby. He also secretly watched Richard Pryor, who is a famous comedian but not related to DJ Pryor. DJ Pryor started doing stand-up comedy professionally when he was 15 years old.

Career Highlights

DJ Pryor performs comedy in many different places. He has done shows at comedy clubs, churches, and colleges. He even performed at the Virginia House of Comedy. Early in his career, he was an opening act for singer Corey Clark.

Pryor has also trained with acting coaches like Kim Hardin. He took classes to learn improvisation, which is making things up on the spot, with Chris Berube. He has appeared in commercials for big companies like Allstate and Jack Daniel's.

In early 2014, DJ Pryor hosted his own radio show called The DJ Pryor Show. This show is now becoming a watchable series. For several years, he was represented by Dan Talent Group. Since February 2019, he has been represented by APA Talent Agency. He still lives and works from Clarksville, Tennessee.

In January 2019, DJ Pryor was chosen for the CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase. He was one of only 21 actors and comedians picked from over 3,000 people who tried out. He has also acted in several short films.

Viral Video and Recognition

In June 2019, DJ Pryor and his son, Kingston, were in a Denny's commercial for Father's Day. Around the same time, a home video of DJ Pryor "talking" with Kingston, who was 19 months old, became very popular online.

This video was seen by millions of people. Experts like Jenny Anderson and Al Race from Harvard University said that the video showed a special way parents and children communicate. They called it "serve-and-return," which is when a child does something (like make a sound) and the parent responds. This back-and-forth helps children learn and grow. Because of this video, Wired magazine called DJ Pryor a "dadfluencer," meaning he influences others as a dad.

At the end of 2019, DJ Pryor was a guest on TV shows like Dateline NBC's: A Toast to 2019! and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2020. These shows looked back at the best moments of 2019.

Since September 2021, DJ Pryor has appeared in commercials for the Tennessee Titans football team. He has also been a guest on "Titans Blitz," a show on Nashville's MyTV 30 and Fox 17. His part on the show, called "All Titan'd Up," is featured during weeks when the Titans play home games.

Comedy Style

DJ Pryor says that comedians like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, and Flip Wilson influenced his comedy style when he was young. His stand-up comedy routines are often based on funny stories and experiences from his own life.

Family Life

DJ Pryor lives in Clarksville, Tennessee with his family. He married Shanieke Pryor in 2015. They have two sons, Jabari and Kingston, and a daughter, Zaria. Jabari was born in 2011 from a previous relationship. Kingston was born in 2017, and Zaria was born in 2020. DJ Pryor is a Christian.

Appearances

Television Shows

• Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2020
• A Toast to 2019!

Movies

• Country Strong
• The Konichiwa Kid
• Message Read