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Sad news came, on February 28th, that actor and comedian Richard Lewis died of a heart attack at the age of 76. His publicist, Jeff Abraham, confirmed the news to Deadline, saying he passed away in his Los Angeles home Tuesday night. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship, and support and asks for privacy at this time,” he said in a statement.
Born on June 29, 1947, Lewis was an acclaimed comedian and actor known for his distinctive humor and self-deprecating style. With a career spanning decades, he’s recognized for his memorable roles in television and film, most notably, on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Following the news, Larry David shared a touching tribute to his longtime “Curb Your Enthusiasm” costar and friend. “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,” David wrote in a statement Wednesday, shared by HBO. “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.”
Jamie Lee Curtis shared a gallery of photos on Instagram with Lewis with a long message. “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. I thought he was handsome,” she wrote.
Curtis said the last text she received from Curtis was hoping that I could convince ABC/Disney to put out another boxed set of episodes of their show, “Anything but Love.” She also credited the legendary actor for her sobriety. “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,” she continued.
Cheryl Hines, who initially played Lewis’ wife, and later his ex-wife on Curb, also shared a tribute to her costar on Instagram. “When I was young I had the biggest crush on Richard Lewis. He was the funniest person on stage and the most handsome comedian. Then when I was cast on Curb Your Enthusiasm, I got to work with him and it was a dream come true,” she wrote. “Through the years I learned who Richard really was and the gifts he gave. Yes, he was the comedian I fell in love with, but he was also one of the most loving people I know. He would take time to tell the people he loved what they meant to him - especially in recent years,” Hines continued.