‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Star and Beloved Stand-Up Richard Lewis Dies at 76

Richard Lewis, the dark, self-deprecating stand-up comedy legend who was best known as the best supporting star on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died of a heart attack yesterday. He was 76 years old.

Lewis’ publicist Jeff Abraham confirmed the acclaimed comic’s passing, saying in a statement, “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time.” Last year, Lewis retired from stand-up comedy following his diagnosis for Parkinson’s disease, and he had been open about his struggles with the degenerative condition in the months leading up to his passing. 

Beyond his work playing a fictional version of himself in 41 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the Brooklyn-born, New Jersey-raised comic was a mainstay of the stand-up circuit beginning the 1970s. Lewis was a familiar face on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and, later, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show while putting out impactful and influential stand-up specials such as I’m In Pain and Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour. 

Today, Lewis is eulogized by some of the biggest names in comedy:

In a statement shared by HBO, Larry David said of his long-time collaborator, “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 added, “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.”