Stand-up comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Richard Lewis died peacefully in his home in Los Angeles on February 28 night after suffering a heart attack, his publicist, Jeff Abraham, told the BBC's US partner CBS News. He was 76.
In a statement shared by Lewis' publicist, his wife, Joyce Lapinsky, said she ‘thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time’.
Nicknamed "The Prince of Pain", Lewis was known for poking fun at his own neuroses and hypochondria during his comedy routines. For years, the actor and writer starred alongside Larry David in his HBO show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he played a semi-fictionalized version of himself. He had most recently appeared in Season 12 of the show, which is airing on HBO.
Originally from Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Lewis gained recognition in the 1970s through performances in New York City clubs and appearances on late-night television.
During Season 11 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lewis had to step away due to a series of surgeries.
Announcing his diagnosis last year, he remarked, ‘I've had sort of a rocky time,’ detailing multiple surgeries he underwent, including those for his back, shoulder, shoulder replacement, and hip replacement.
‘I had four surgeries, back to back to back... It was bad luck, but it's life,’ he added.
Lewis notably appeared in Mel Brooks' ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’ and featured in TV shows like the sitcom ‘Anything but Love’, where he starred opposite Jamie Lee Curtis from 1989 to 1992.
Recognized by Comedy Central as one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time, Lewis also earned a spot on GQ Magazine's list of the 20th Century's Most Influential Humorists.
Fellow comedian Bill Burr paid tribute to Lewis on X (formerly known as Twitter), describing him as a ‘true original’ and ‘an absolutely fearless comedian who did and said what he wanted.’
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