Richard Lewis, a razor-smart stand-up comic, died last night in L.A. from a heart attack. He was 76. Until recently, he played himself on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Lewis retired from stand-up comedy after discovering he had Parkinson’s disease last year.
In a tribute, Larry David called his fellow comedian ‘like a brother’ in a moving tribute shared in a statement by HBO.
‘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 said.
Lewis was known for his neurotic, self-deprecating style of comedy, which one critic said ‘straddled comedy and therapy.’
For instance, his comedy specials were named “I’m in Pain,” followed up with the HBO specials “I’m Exhausted” (1988), “I’m Doomed” (1990) and “Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour” (1997).
See his last ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’