--- name: "Little Richard" canonical: "https://film.one/person/little-richard" fi1m_id: "little-richard" imdb_id: "nm0005153" tmdb_id: 22865 wikidata_id: "Q82222" roles: ["Actor"] born: "5 December 1932" died: "9 May 2020" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 76 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-10-04T23:17:05.787890+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Little Richard ## Identity Little Richard - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/little-richard - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** little-richard - **IMDb ID:** nm0005153 - **TMDB ID:** 22865 - **Wikidata ID:** Q82222 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82222, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005153/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/22865 Actor. Born 5 December 1932 in Macon, Georgia, USA. Died 9 May 2020. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 5 December 1932, Macon, Georgia, USA - **Died:** 9 May 2020 - **Active:** 1971–1986 - **Also known as:** Richard Wayne Penniman - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 86 (1), 1980s 65 (1), 1990s 62 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82222, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005153/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/22865 ## Biography Little Richard, born Richard Wayne Penniman, was an American singer, songwriter and actor. He appeared in the 1986 film *Down and Out in Beverly Hills* as Orvis Goodnight. His other screen credits include roles in *The Girl Can't Help It* (1956), *Last Action Hero* (1993) and episodes of television series such as *Full House* (1994), *Baywatch* (1995) and *The Drew Carey Show* (1997), often playing himself or similar characters. He died in 2020. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, blacknamesproject.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these - *Down and Out in Beverly Hills* (1986), Fi1m 65, as Orvis Goodnight — [page](https://film.one/film/down-and-out-in-beverly-hills.md) - *Columbo* (1971), Fi1m 86, as Little Richard — [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Last Action Hero* (1993), Fi1m 62, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/last-action-hero.md) ## Complete filmography (36) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Beatles '64* (2024), as Songs - *High Card's Bluff* (2023), as Songs - *Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live - Feelin' Alright* (2009), Actor - *Celebrity Duets* (2006), series, Actor - *James Brown: Soul Survivor* (2003), Actor - *Las Vegas* (2003), series, as Little Richard - *The Trumpet of the Swan* (2001), as Songs - *Little Richard* (2000), Executive Producer - *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor - *Rudy Coby: Ridiculously Dangerous* (1996), as Lounge Lizard (voice) - *The Late Shift* (1996), as Little Richard - *The Drew Carey Show* (1995), series, as Little Richard - *The Magic School Bus* (1994), series, as Theme Song Performance - *Food Rocks* (1994), as Richard (uncredited), Songs - *The Pickle* (1993), as President - *The Naked Truth* (1992), as Airborne Mustard Lover - *Hearts Afire* (1992), series, as Little Richard - *Martin* (1992), series, as The Exterminator - *Sunset Heat* (1992), as Brandon - *Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures* (1990), series, Actor - *Blossom* (1990), series, as Little Richard - *Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme* (1990), as Old King Cole - *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Little Richard (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md) - *Baywatch* (1989), series, as Maurice the Cook - *Legends of Rock 'n' Roll* (1989), as Little Richard - *Purple People Eater* (1988), as Mayor - *Goddess of Love* (1988), as Alphonso - *Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz* (1988), as Little Richard - *Full House* (1987), series, as Little Richard - *Down and Out in Beverly Hills* (1986), as Orvis Goodnight — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/down-and-out-in-beverly-hills.md) - *Motown Returns to the Apollo* (1985), Actor - *Friday People* (1985), series, Actor - *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as Marvelle Quinn — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md) - *Columbo* (1971), series, as Little Richard — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md) - *The Smothers Brothers Summer Show* (1970), series, Actor - *Don't Knock The Rock U.K. 1964*, as Little Richards ## Gallery - ![From Wash D.C. April 20, 2002 Best Buddy's charity event © copyright John Mathew Smith (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/467690/gallery-686d00663218.jpg) From Wash D.C. April 20, 2002 Best Buddy's charity event © copyright John Mathew Smith (2010) — Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Little_Richard_1998_color.jpg/1280px-Little_Richard_1998_color.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Little Richard performing at the University of Texas Forty Acres Festival in 2007.](https://film.one/media/person/467690/gallery-a87bef5b1138.jpg) Little Richard performing at the University of Texas Forty Acres Festival in 2007. — Anna Bleker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Little_Richard_in_2007.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Little Richard in concert](https://film.one/media/person/467690/gallery-0eecc3253391.jpg) Little Richard in concert — Robbie Drexhage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Little_Richard.jpg/1280px-Little_Richard.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Little Richard reading his biography, 1984](https://film.one/media/person/467690/gallery-af670345d0d5.jpg) Little Richard reading his biography, 1984 — Ian Dryden, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Little_Richard_1984_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Little_Richard_1984_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Publicity shot of Little Richard c. 1966 (1969)](https://film.one/media/person/467690/gallery-821dcf80ccb0.jpg) Publicity shot of Little Richard c. 1966 (1969) — Okeh Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/LittleRichard1960s.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) ## Awards ### Other awards — 2 won - Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 1993: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (won) - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1986: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/little-richard