Comic Richard Lewis died in his Los Angeles home Feb. 27 after suffering a heart attack, his publicist Jeff Abraham confirmed in a statement.
The 76-year-old comedian was also known for his role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and he currently appears in the final season of the HBO series. In a recent episode, Lewis’s character discussed amending his will with Larry David.
Following the news of Lewis’s death, David released a statement that said, “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 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 battled multiple health issues over the years. In April 2023, he announced in a touching video that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Less than two weeks before his death, he spoke more about the diagnosis and his career in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Feb. 18.
Lewis said that his last comedy tour was about five years ago and that he didn’t plan to go on the road again.
“On my last tour, I knew it was my last,” he shared. “It was the best I’ve ever been onstage. I said, ‘This is it. Fifty years. I’m exhausted.’ I did about six cities. People showed me how much they care about my work. And I would never go on again.”
He continued, “Not to mention, my body’s been beaten up by four surgeries. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a couple of years ago.”
Lewis said he visited a physical therapist three times a week.
“It’s another progressive disease that I’m fighting, and I’ll do the best I can,” he said.
He revealed that he told David and members of the cast and crew about his diagnosis before he publicly shared the information. He said the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” team made sure he had extra help on set.
Lewis also shared why he wanted to reveal his diagnosis to the world.
“I…
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