Richard Lewis, Comedian and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Actor, Dead at 76
Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis, the stand-up comedian who starred on Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside Larry David, has sadly died. He was 76.
Lewis is said to have died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Feb. 27 after suffering a heart attack, a representative for the late star told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday.
His death comes less than a year after the TV star and comedy genius publicly revealed in April 2023 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder. At the time, he announced that he would be retiring from stand-up after over four decades in the business.
“For the last three-and-a-half years, I’ve had sort of a rocky time,” he told fans in a video shared to X (formerly Twitter) at the time. "I have Parkinson's disease, but I’m under a doctor’s care and everything is cool."
— Richard Lewis (@TheRichardLewis) April 24, 2023
Prior to stepping away from stand-up, Lewis was known for his dark and often self-deprecating style of humor. Earlier in his career, he became a regular on late-night talk shows like The Tonight Show and the Late Show With David Letterman.
Some of his famous comedy specials include Showtime's I’m in Pain (1985) and the HBO specials I’m Exhausted (1988), I’m Doomed (1990) and Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour (1997).
In addition to Curb, Lewis also was known for his leading role in the ABC sitcom Anything But Love opposite Jamie Lee Curtis. His other TV credits include Daddy Dearest, Hiller and Diller, Blunt Talk and 7th Heaven, among several others. He also notably starred in the 1993 comedy film Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Most recently, Lewis appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12, the show's last, which is currently airing on HBO.
Following the news of his death, many of Lewis' supporters have spoken out online to memorialize him, including Curtis, who shared a photo of the duo from their days together on Anything But Love to Instagram on Wednesday.
While delivering an emotional tribute to the late comic on Instagram, Curtis wrote, "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!"
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also offered his condolences in a post on Instagram, writing, "they don't come any better than Richard."
