Stand-up comedian and actor Richard Lewis has died, ABC Audio has confirmed.
Lewis, a fixture on the stand-up comedy scene in the ’70s and ’80s, who also appeared in comedies like Robin Hood: Men in Tights and dramas including the Oscar-winning Leaving Las Vegas, was 76.
On Wednesday, Lewis’ publicist Jeff Abraham said the comedian “passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack.”
The star, who can currently be seen on the final season of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, revealed in April 2023 that he had been living with Parkinson’s disease for two years.
After acknowledging a “rocky” past few years, he told fans he was hanging up the stand-up mic for good. His last gig was on January 20, 2018, at Zanies in Chicago.
He recalled to his fans that he “felt great” about his decision, adding, “I’m at the top of my game, after 50 years almost.”
He then continued, “And then, out of the blue, the s*** hit the fan.” He said he had four surgeries “back to back” on his back, shoulder and hip.
“On top of all that,” Lewis said, a neurologist diagnosed him with Parkinson’s.
“Luckily, I got it late in life, and they say it progresses very slowly, if at all, and I’m on the right meds, so I’m cool.”
To Vanity Fair, he recently explained why he went public. “I thought for what it’s worth, I’m a drug addict and an alcoholic in recovery almost 30 years. That helped some people. Maybe I could go public on this and they’ll say, ‘Gee, I didn’t know Lewis had this!’ And maybe it’ll give them some encouragement.”
Incidentally, the final season of Curb has the comic making his final arrangements. He called it “an amazing season,” adding, “I’m so grateful to be a part of that show.”
He ended his April 2023 tweet optimistically: “I love my wife, and I love my little puppy dog, and I love all my friends and my fans. … God bless you.”
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