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‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ actor Richard Lewis dies at 76: what was the cause of death?
Lewis was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023 but appeared in the current season of Larry David’s HBO comedy series.
The acting world is in mourning once again, with the news that actor, stand-up comedian and writer Richard Lewis has died of a heart attack at the age of 76 at his home in Los Angeles, as reported by Jeff Abraham, his representative and publicist, to CNN.
Lewis’ acting career over 50 years
The Curb Your Enthusiasm star, who had also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease last year, made his on-screen debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1974, and went on to become a much-admired figure in the world of comedy, featuring in a number of late-night programs.
His recurring role as a fictoinalised version of himself in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which he played Larry David’s friend, continued into the show’s 12th season this year. Earlier in his career, he starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in sitcom Anything But Love, as well as in the 1993 movie Robin Hood: Men in Tights, which was a box-office success.
Lewis “like a brother” to Larry David
In addition to being an actor, Lewis, who attained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing from Ohio State University in 1969, worked at an advertising agency writing scripts for comedian Morty Gunty, while also performing as a stand-up comedian.
“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,” David said of his friend’s death.
His representative said Lewis’ wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanked “everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time.” Lewis and Lapinsky married in 2005 after meeting seven years earlier. The couple had no children.