Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian and actor known for his role as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died on Tuesday (Feb. 27) after suffering a heart attack. He was 76 years old.
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“Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack,” his rep, Jeff Abraham, shared the news via a statement. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time.”
Lewis quickly became a fan favorite over 40 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, including the 2000 pilot episode. In 2021, he announced that he would not return to the series in order to recover from three surgeries, though he ended up making a one-scene appearance in season 11. He ended up returning for the now-airing final season of the HBO program.
Following the devastating news, Lewis’ longtime friend and Curb co-star Larry David shared his own statement of mourning. “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,” he wrote in the statement 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.”
Lewis’ Anything But Love co-star Jamie Lee Curtis also took to Instagram to share a lengthy, emotional tribute to her late friend. “He also is the reason I am sober. He helped me,” she wrote in part. “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. Strange way of saying thank you to a sweet and funny man.”
Many of Lewis’ famous friends and colleagues flooded social media with messages of love and memories of the comedian. See below.
