Hollywood is mourning the loss of a comedy icon. Richard Lewis, best known for his work on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and a decades-long stand-up career, died on Feb. 27, Access Hollywood confirms. He was 76.
Lewis’ rep revealed on Wednesday that the entertainer had passed away peacefully the previous night after suffering a heart attack. The sad news comes three years after Lewis was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he publicly disclosed last April.
His acerbic humor earned him a place among comedy elite throughout the ’70s and ’80s and paired well with close friend Larry David, with whom he appeared as himself on HBO’s “Curb.”
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View GalleryDavid reflected on Lewis and their bond in a statement to Access, noting just how long they were connected.
“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. 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,” David said.
Lewis also starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis on the ’90s sitcom “Anything But Love,” and the Oscar winner honored him with an Instagram message dedicating the show’s theme song in his memory.
“If we had never met, and the world got on without us, just as if we were never there at all. We’d be searching yet for the next big thing that ever happened, trying not to fall…Anything but love will do, anything but hearts that beat like thunder, anything but love would be enough. For anyone but you,” Curtis wrote, quoting JD Souther’s lyrics.
Lewis’ notable roles also include films like “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” and he appeared in numerous other TV shows.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 20 years, Joyce Lapinsky.
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