Larry David Leads Tributes To Late Comedian Richard Lewis

The beloved humorist and Curb Your Enthusiasm star died on Tuesday at age 76.

“Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis handed away peacefully at his residence in Los Angeles ultimate night after struggling a coronary coronary heart assault,” study an announcement from his rep, Jeff Abraham to ABC Data.

“His partner, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for the entire love, friendship and assist and asks for privateness in the intervening time.”

Fundamental the tributes was comedian Larry David — a lifelong pal of Lewis.

“Richard and I had been born three days apart within the similar hospital and for a lot of of my life he’s been like a brother to me,” David wrote in an announcement Wednesday, shared by HBO. “He had that unusual combination of being the funniest specific particular person and likewise the sweetest. Nonetheless at current he made me sob, and for that I’m going to under no circumstances forgive him.”

David’s onscreen partner, Cheryl Hines shared her tribute in an announcement to PEOPLE admitting she had a “crush” on the star early in her occupation.

“As soon as I used to be youthful I had crucial crush on Richard Lewis. He was the funniest specific particular person on stage and possibly essentially the most handsome comedian. Then as soon as I used to be strong on Curb Your Enthusiasm, I began working with him and it was a dream come true,” Hines talked about.

“By the years I spotted who Richard truly was and the presents he gave. Positive, he was the comedian I fell in love with, nonetheless he was moreover one of many very important loving of us I do know. He would take time to tell the parents he cherished what they meant to him — significantly in latest occasions. In between takes on Curb, he would inform me how specific I was to him and the way in which rather a lot he cherished me,” she continues sooner than concluding with “I actually such as you Richard.”

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis poured her coronary coronary heart out in three carousel posts — which included photographs of the pair from their ABC sitcom One thing Nonetheless Love — telling the world how she first acquired right here all through her pal in Hollywood.

“I’ve merely study that my pal Richard Lewis has died,” Curtis, 65, shared by Instagram on Wednesday, February 28. “I be mindful exactly the place I was as soon as I observed a billboard of him just a few stand-up specific on Sunset Boulevard as soon as we had been casting the ABC pilot One thing Nonetheless Love and requested the casting of us to ship him in to audition to play my best pal/presumably boyfriend, Marty Gold.”

Curtis opened up about how rather a lot she admired Lewis for his work and expertise to make her “snort” chuckle, which is how he landed the perform alongside Curtis throughout the first place.

One thing Nonetheless Love first premiered in 1989 and went on to run for 4 seasons sooner than it resulted in 1992.

Lewis’ Robin Hood: Males in Tights costar Cary Elwes shared a submit on X revealing that the pair “had been truly merely planning collectively”.

Ben Stiller talked about he had “under no circumstances met a kinder additional empathetic comedy genius.”

“He was so humorous. And deep. As an increase up he was truly iconic throughout the 70s. Cool, humorous, self deprecating and hip. He was a pal to my dad and mother and your complete Stiller family,” Stiller penned in a tweet.

Bette Midler saved it fast and sweet: “On a tragic observe, the great Richard Lewis has died.” Midler was one in every of many first to share a tribute on-line. Whereas Nancy Sinatra often called the data “dreadful”.

In April 2023, the comedian launched his retirement from stand-up in a video posted to Twitter. He revealed he had been acknowledged with Parkinson’s sickness, together with that he had been having a “rocky” time collectively together with his properly being and wished to “strictly” consider his showing and writing.

“Hey hear, I merely wrapped just a few weeks prior to now season 12 of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and it was merely an amazing season and I’m so grateful to be a part of that current,” Lewis talked about. “Nonetheless you notice the ultimate three and a half years, I’ve had kind of a rocky time and folk talked about, ‘I haven’t heard from you, are you proceed to touring?’”

“Proper right here’s truly what occurred,” Lewis continued. “Three and half years prior to now I was within the midst of a tour and I lastly ended it with a gift. I discussed, ‘You acknowledge I’m on the excessive of my recreation, after 15 years practically I’ll identify it quits,’ and I felt good about that after which out of the blue the shit hit the fan. I had 4 surgical procedures once more to once more to once more to once more, it was unbelievable, I couldn’t think about it, it was harmful luck, nonetheless that’s life.”

Lewis is survived by his partner, Joyce Lapinsky.