Richard Lewis, a stand-up comedian best known to 21st-century audiences as a star on HBO‘s “Curb Your Enthusiasm“, died Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76 years old.
Lewis became a prominent comedian and actor during the 1980s, parlaying a number of appearances on late-night television into an eventual role on the ABC sitcom “Anything but Love“, in which he starred alongside Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis for 56 episodes across four seasons. Lewis, a longtime friend of actor and writer Larry David, had a recurring role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as a semi-fictionalized version of himself — and he appears in the 12th and final season of the show, which is now airing on HBO and streaming on Max.
How did Lewis die?
Variety reported that Lewis died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack. He had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his career, and he announced in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis ended his stand-up career, and a series of surgeries kept him from appearing in season 11 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in 2021.
Lewis made a number of appearances on “The Tonight Show” and the “Late Show with David Letterman” during the 1980s and the 1990s, which coincided with the release of several stand-up specials — including 1985’s “I’m in Pain“, 1988’s “I’m Exhausted“, and 1990’s “I’m Doomed“, showcasing his self-deprecating humor.
Lewis appeared in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” throughout the show’s 12-season, 25-year run, and his longtime friend Larry David saluted him in a typically-witty statement Wednesday.
“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,” David said via HBO. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I’ll never forgive him.”
Lewis is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky.
