Feb. 28, 2024

Richard Lewis has died, age 76

Richard Lewis has died, age 76

Richard Lewis, a cherished figure in American comedy and renowned for his roles, including a fictionalized version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, passed away last night at his Los Angeles residence following a heart attack. He was 76.His...

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Richard Lewis, a cherished figure in American comedy and renowned for his roles, including a fictionalized version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, passed away last night at his Los Angeles residence following a heart attack. He was 76.His publicist, Jeff Abraham, confirmed his demise. Lewis had been battling Parkinson’s disease, a condition he disclosed in April 2023."His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, expresses gratitude for the outpouring of love, companionship, and support, and requests privacy during this period," Abraham stated.Richard Philip Lewis, born in Brooklyn on June 29, 1947, emerged onto the comedy scenes of New York and Los Angeles in the 1970s alongside future luminaries like Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler. Rapidly gaining traction, he became a regular on late-night programs such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, crafting a distinctive onstage persona as somber as his trademark all-black attire. His stand-up routines were often likened to a blend of comedy and therapy.



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Callaroga Shark Media. Wow. I
was just heading out the door, checked

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the email one last time, and
I see Comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm star

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Richard Lewis has passed away at age
seventy six. Richard's rep. Jeff Abraham

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I know Jeff, confirmed the news
in a statement to people on Wednesday afternoon.

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The statement reads, Comedian actor Richard
Lewis passed away peacefully at his home

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in la last night after suffering a
heart attack. His wife thanks everyone for

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all the love, friendship, and
support, and ask for privacy at this

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time. Lewis best known for his
self deprecating humor, his long running roles

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on Curb Your Enthusiasm, his guest
spots on Letterman, and The Howard Sterns

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Show. He also co starred with
Jamie Lee Curtis in a sitcom that I

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really liked way back when it was
called Anything but Love, that run from

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nineteen eighty nine to nineteen ninety two. In two thousand, he had a

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memoir titled The Other Great Depression.
He told The Washington Post in twenty twenty,

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I'm not a very happy man.
I'm thrilled to be alive. I'm

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grateful for he was in my life. I've got great friends, a great

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wife, a dog, and I
have a great career. But there's a

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part of me that's always going to
be never totally happy, and I think

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that has a lot to do with
my childhood. I did not prep this

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episode at all. Like I said, I was running out the door.

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Let me see what comedians are seeing
on Twitter. Albert Brooks, Sorry,

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p Richard Lewis a brilliantly funny man
who will be missed by all the world

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needed him now more than ever.
Michael McKeon, Farewell Richard Lewis. Brocol

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Harum has lost another fan, and
the rest of us have lost a very

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good man. Sam Morrell, not
Richard Lewis such a funny guy for so

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long watching a curb as this news
broke. I remember reading his pickup line

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with the ladies in the book I'm
dying up here. I'll buy you a

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two to sandwich anywhere in the city. Rest in peace, Keith Olberman.

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I've never had a brother. From
the day he came up and said hi

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in nineteen eighty nine, Richard Lewis
and I called each other brother. I

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used to kid him if people knew
how good and kind of person he was,

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it would ruin his career. Bet
Midler, on a sad note,

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the great Richard Lewis has died.
Richard Lewis has passed away at age seventy

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six. All right, Like I
said, I was running out the door,

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so I put this together quickly.
The Thursday episode is already recorded.

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You will not hear me address this
in the normal Thursday episode, but I'll

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probably do a bonus episode with a
proper Richard Lewis tribute sometime tomorrow afternoon.

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Richard was fantastic. Rest in peace.