LOS ANGELES, CA — Richard Lewis, the stand-up comedian known for his roles in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 76, according to reports.
Lewis died of a heart attack, his publicist, Jeff Abraham, told media outlets. Last year, Lewis announced that he had Parkinson’s disease.
“His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Abraham told Deadline.
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Lewis, known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, the comedian earned the nickname “The Prince of Pain.” He was named by both GQ and Comedy Centra as one of the best and most influential comics of the last century.
Lewis made his television debut at age 17 on the hit ABC show “Candid Camera.” With his acerbic wit and sarcastic style, Lewis rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s as a late-night show fixture and was at the forefront of the cable-fueled boom in standup comedy in the late 80s, the New York Times reported.
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He starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in “Anything But Love,” a sitcom that ran for several season in the late 80s and early 90s, he also appeared in 90s sitcoms “Daddy Dearest” and “Hiller and Diller.”
Lewis appeared in several films that decade, include “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” in which he played Prince John; “Leaving Las Vegas;” and “Drunks” an indie drama about an alcoholic struggling to maintain his sobriety.
But he took on the role that would be a defining feature of the latter half of his career in 2000 when he was cast by his childhood friend Larry David on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Playing an elevated version of himself, Lewis appeared regularly on the show throughout its 12-season run over 24 years.
Born on June 29, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, Lewis was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He met and befriended his David at a summer camp when he was 12.
“I disliked him intensely. He was cocky, he was arrogant,” Lewis told The Spectator magazine in 2023. “When we played baseball, I tried to hit him with the ball: We were arch rivals. I couldn’t wait for the camp to be over just to get away from Larry. I’m sure he felt the same way.”
He went on to study marketing and communications at Ohio State University and graduated in 1969. Two years later, he started performing standup comedy, which was mainly focused on his own neuroses, misery and therapy.
Throughout his career, the comedian was candid about his battle with drug and alcohol addiction, referencing his recovery and struggles with depression and anxiety in his comedy. Lewis, formerly a user of cocaine and crystal meth, said his decision to get sober was partly inspired by John Candy’s 1994 death.
In 2000, Lewis published “The OTHER Great Depression,” an autobiography about his career and struggles with drugs and alcohol.
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City News Service contributed to this report.
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