Stand-up comedian Richard Lewis, who acted alongside Larry David in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” passed away on Tuesday night at his Los Angeles home after suffering a heart attack, according to information obtained by Variety. His age was seventy-six.
Lewis said in April of last year that he was receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and will be retiring from stand-up comedy. The last time he appeared on HBO was in Season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Lewis declared in 2021 that he would be taking a break from “Curb” for Season 11 in order to heal from three surgeries. He told Variety at the time that “when I walked in and they applauded, it felt like millions of dollars.” He had unexpectedly returned to the set for an episode of Season 11. Larry doesn’t usually give embraces, but after our sequence was shot, he gave me a hug and told me how happy he was.
In the 24 years that he spent playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Lewis became well-known for his peculiar and self-deprecating sense of humor. Following his on-screen debut in the 1979 comedy “Diary of a Young Comic,” Lewis became well-known in the 1980s and 1990s thanks to appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “Late Show with David Letterman.” He started developing his deep comic persona with the “I’m in Pain” comedy special on Showtime in 1985. Later, he appeared in the HBO programs “Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour” (1997), “I’m Exhausted” (1988), and “I’m Doomed” (1990).
The 1989 ABC sitcom “Anything But Love” featured Lewis in a major role as a Chicago magazine colleague who fell in love and, unlike Jamie Lee Curtis’s character, was unable to keep his professional relationship strictly professional. Before it concluded in 1992, the program ran for four seasons and featured fifty-six episodes. Lewis also had a few brief appearances in comedy series in the 1990s, such as Kevin Nealon’s “Hiller and Diller” and Don Rickles’ “Daddy Dearest”.
He appeared in three motion pictures: “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” a 1993 comedy, “Hugo Pool,” a 1997 romantic comedy, and the 1995 drama “Leaving Las Vegas.” In the movie “Drunks,” starring Faye Dunaway, George Martin, Parker Posey, Howard Rollins, Spalding Gray, and Diane Wiest, Lewis played a struggling alcoholic and drug user.
Throughout his whole career, the comedian has been transparent about his difficulties with drug and alcohol addiction. His comedy routines have included themes of relapse, anxiety, and despair. Lewis, who had formerly used crystal meth and cocaine, stated that his desire to remain sober was influenced by the 1994 death of John Candy.
“I’ve dedicated my life to comedy and sobriety for almost the past 27 years,” Lewis said to Variety in 2021, following many health setbacks before making a comeback to “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” I’m content right now. I’ve never been able to maintain happiness in my mind for longer than a minute, but I’m setting records for myself today.
In a statement provided to HBO, David spoke about his lifelong friend and co-star Richard, saying, “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and he remained a brother to me for life.” He has the amazing ability to be the funniest and sweetest person. I won’t ever forget him, even if he brought me to tears today.
HBO released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened to hear of Richard Lewis’s loss. He was unmatched in his wit, intelligence, and humorous ability. HBO and the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ family will never forget Richard and would want to offer our sincere condolences to his friends, family, and all of the fans who relied on him to make them laugh.”
