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Posted in: HBO, Movies, TV | Tagged: Curb Your Enthusiasm, jamie lee curtis, larry david, Mel Brooks, obituary, Ricard Lewis
Richard Lewis: Hollywood Pays Tribute to Late Comedian & Actor
Larry David, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mel Brooks & many more from across the entertainment industry honored the late comedian/actor Richard Lewis.
Article Summary
- Hollywood mourns Richard Lewis, comic icon, who died at 76 after a heart attack.
- Stars like Larry David and Jamie Lee Curtis share heartfelt tributes on social media.
- Lewis remembered for roles in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights'.
- His battle with Parkinson's, legacy of laughter, and impact on peers honored by many.
The entertainment world lost another comedy legend when Richard Lewis passed at the age of 76 on February 27th after suffering a heart attack. The actor and comedian had been living with Parkinson's disease since his announcement in April 2023. "His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship, and support and asks for privacy at this time," Jeff Abraham, Lewis' publicist said. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. Known for his self-deprecating nature and razor wit, Lewis emerged from the New York and Los Angeles comedy scene of the 1970s. He made his on-screen debut in 1979's Diary of a Young Comic.
Richard Lewis: A Lasting Legacy of Laughs
Lewis appeared in over 60 titles in a range of live-action and voiceover roles showing his talents in comedy while occasionally flexing his dramatic chops, including roles in 20th Century's Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), MGM's Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Fox's Daddy Dearest (1993), and ABC's Anything But Love. He was a popular guest on the talk show scene from late-night hosts Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno to radio's Howard Stern. Lewis also had several comedy specials across Showtime and HBO. The comedian played a fictional version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm which stars his childhood friend, Larry David, currently in its 12th and final season.
"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 wrote on Curb's Instagram. There's a variety of tributes that poured in from across the entertainment industry.
"I've just read that my friend Richard Lewis has died. I remember exactly where I was when I saw a billboard of him about a stand up special on Sunset Boulevard when we were casting the ABC pilot 'Anything But Love' and asked the casting people to bring him in to audition to play my best friend/maybe boyfriend, Marty Gold," Jamie Lee Curtis wrote on Instagram. "I thought he was handsome. He made me laugh, which is the one thing that a strong, capable woman, can't really do for herself. He got the part when I snort laughed when he mispronounced the word Bundt cake. He blew everyone else away It was a love triangle show and they didn't pick up that pilot but they came back to me and said that the chemistry with Richard was so great and could we revamp the original pilot which is the show we ended up making for a couple years. He was also a stand-up comic and hated the live audience, where I, who had never done a play, loved it. He used to hide his lines everywhere on the set, on props, door frames, on my face in a close up and was always carrying a clipboard with his lines on them. It turns out he was a wonderful actor. Deep and so freaking funny."
"We went through the death of our friend and costar, Richard Frank, together and grieved the loss of our producer and friend, John Ritter. Richard's last text to me, was hoping that I could convince ABC/Disney to put out another boxed set of episodes of the show," Curtis continued. "He also is the reason I am sober. He helped me. I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone. He found love with Joyce and that, of course, besides his sobriety, is what mattered most to him. I'm weeping as I write this. Strange way of saying thank you to a sweet and funny man. Rest in laughter, Richard. My Marty, I love you, Hannah!"
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