Renowned stand-up comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Richard Lewis has died at the age of 76. His publicist confirmed that he passed away from a heart attack in his home in Los Angeles on February 28. Lewis retired from his comedy career last year after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, he had been filming for the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which started airing earlier this month on HBO.
In response to the sad news, HBO released a statement saying, “We are heartbroken to learn that Richard Lewis has passed away. His comedic brilliance, wit, and talent were unmatched.” Larry David, Lewis’s co-star on Curb Your Enthusiasm, also shared his condolences, adding, “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital, and for most of my life, he’s been like a brother to me.”
Many tributes have been pouring in from across the entertainment world. Comedian Jack Carroll tweeted, “RIP to the always hilarious Richard Lewis. Great in Curb, great stand up too.” Bette Midler also tweeted, “On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died.”
Lewis’s career started in the early 1970s, with performances of stand-up comedy in Greenwich village. His first comedy special was I’m in Pain in 1985 on Showtime before he switched to HBO for Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour in 1997. He was a regular on The Tonight Show and Late Show With David Letterman throughout the 80s and 90s. Lewis played a semi-fictionalised version of himself opposite Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm and was known for his neurotic, self-deprecating style of comedy.
Lewis is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky
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