Larry David has paid tribute to Curb Your Enthusiasm co star Richard Lewis, who passed away aged 76 this week.
US actor and comedian Lewis, passed away, having announced last year that he had been living with Parkinson’s disease.
His death was confirmed by his publicist Jeff Abraham, who said that Lewis died after suffering a heart attack.
Richard Lewis came to prominence during the 1980s as a comic, going on to co-star alongside David in the semi-fictionalised sitcom, Curb Your Enthusiasm, with the show premiering in 1999.
Lewis also performed regularly in clubs and late night TV, as well as starring in Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights, playing the neurotic Prince John.
He also starred in the US sitcom Anything But Love, which ran from 1989 to 1992, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.
“he’s been like a brother” – David pays tribute to Lewis
In a statement, Larry David paid an emotional tribute to the late Richard Lewis.
“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. “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”.
Cheryl Hines who played Richard Lewis’ wife in Curb Your Enthusiasm, also paid tribute to her former co star via Instagram.
“When I was young I had the biggest crush on Richard Lewis,” Hines said. “He was the funniest person on stage and the most handsome comedian”.
“Then, when I was cast on Curb Your Enthusiasm, I got to work with him, and it was a dream come true”, she continued.
“Through the years I learned who Richard really was and the gifts he gave. Yes, he was the comedian I fell in love with, but he was also one of the most loving people I know”.
“He would take time to tell the people he loved what they meant to him – especially in recent years”.
“In between takes on Curb, he would tell me how special I was to him and how much he loved me. To be loved by Richard Lewis. A true gift.”
Jamie Lee Curtis also took to Instagram to pay tribute to Lewis, describing him as a “sweet and funny man”. See that post in full here.
Richard Lewis’ career also saw him perform on the comedy circuit with Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, and Freddie Prinze among others.
