Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname 害羞草研究所淭he Prince of Pain,害羞草研究所� has died. He was 76.
Lewis, who in 2023, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham.
A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series 害羞草研究所淎nything But Love害羞草研究所� and the reliably neurotic Prince John in 害羞草研究所淢el Brooks害羞草研究所� Robin Hood: Men In Tights.害羞草研究所� He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淐urb Your Enthusiasm,害羞草研究所� kvetching regularly.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I害羞草研究所檓 not thrilled about,害羞草研究所� he once joked onstage. To Jimmy Kimmel he said: 害羞草研究所淭his morning, I tried to go to bed. I couldn害羞草研究所檛 sleep. I counted sheep but I only had six of them and they all had hip replacements.害羞草研究所�
Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he earned a berth in GQ magazine害羞草研究所檚 list of the 害羞草研究所�20th Century害羞草研究所檚 Most Influential Humorists.害羞草研究所� He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.
害羞草研究所淲atching his stand-up is like sitting in on a very funny and often dark therapy session,害羞草研究所� the Los Angeles Times said in 2014. The Philadelphia害羞草研究所檚 City Paper called him 害羞草研究所渢he Jimi Hendrix of monologists.害羞草研究所� Mel Brooks once said he 害羞草研究所渕ay just be the Franz Kafka of modern-day comedy.害羞草研究所�
Comedians took to social media Wednesday to share their thoughts, including Albert Books who called Lewis 害羞草研究所渁 brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever害羞草研究所� on X, formerly Twitter. Other tributes came from Bette Midler, Michael McKean and Paul Feig, who called Lewis 害羞草研究所渙ne of the funniest people on the planet.害羞草研究所�
Following his graduation from The Ohio State University in 1969, the New York-born Lewis began a stand-up career, honing his craft on the circuit with other contemporaries also just starting out like Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze and Billy Crystal.
He recalled Rodney Dangerfield hiring him for $75 to fill in at his New York club, Dangerfield害羞草研究所檚. 害羞草研究所淚 had a lot of great friends early on who believed in me, and I met pretty iconic people who really helped me, told me to keep working on my material. And I never looked back,害羞草研究所� he told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2010.
Unlike contemporary Robin Williams, Lewis allowed audiences into his world and melancholy, pouring his torment and pain onto the stage. Fans favorably compared him to the ground-breaking comedian Lenny Bruce.
害羞草研究所淚 take great pains not to be mean-spirited,害羞草研究所� Lewis told The Palm Beach Post in 2007. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 like to take real handicaps that people have to overcome with no hope in sight. I steer clear of that. That害羞草研究所檚 not funny to me. Tragedy is funny to other humorists, but it害羞草研究所檚 not to me, unless you can make a point that害羞草研究所檚 helpful.害羞草研究所�
Singer Billy Joel has said he was referring to Lewis when he sang in 害羞草研究所淢y Life害羞草研究所� of an old friend who 害羞草研究所渂ought a ticket to the West Coast/Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.害羞草研究所�
In 1989 at Carnegie Hall, he appeared with six feet of yellow legal sheets filled with material and taped together for a 2 1/2-hour set that led to two standing ovations. The night was 害羞草研究所渢he highlight of my career,害羞草研究所� he told The Washington Post in 2020.
Lewis told GQ his signature look came incidentally, saying his obsession with dressing in black came from watching the television Western 害羞草研究所淗ave Gun 害羞草研究所� Will Travel,害羞草研究所� with a cowboy in all-black, when he was a kid. He also popularized the term 害羞草研究所渇rom hell害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� as in 害羞草研究所渢he date from hell害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所渢he job from hell.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hat just came out of my brain one day and I kept repeating it a lot for some reason. Same thing with the black clothes. I just felt really comfortable from the early 害羞草研究所�80s on and I never wore anything else. I never looked back.害羞草研究所�
After getting sober from drugs and alcohol in 1994, Lewis put out his 2008 memoir, 害羞草研究所淭he Other Great Depression害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� a collection of fearless, essay style riffs on his life 害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淩eflections from Hell.害羞草研究所�
Lewis was the youngest of three siblings 害羞草研究所� his brother was older than him by six years, and his sister by nine. His father died young and his mother had emotional problems. 害羞草研究所淪he didn害羞草研究所檛 get me at all. I owe my career to my mother. I should have given her my agent害羞草研究所檚 commission,害羞草研究所� he told The Washington Post in 2020.
害羞草研究所淟ooking back on it now, as a full-blown, middle-aged, functioning anxiety collector, I can admit without cringing that my parents had their fair share of tremendous qualities, yet, being human much of the day, had more than just a handful of flaws as well,害羞草研究所� he wrote in his memoir.
Lewis quickly found a new family performing at New York害羞草研究所檚 Improv. 害羞草研究所淚 was 23, and all sorts of people were coming in and out and watching me, like Steve Allen and Bette Midler. David Brenner certainly took me under his wing. To drive home to my little dump in New Jersey often knowing that Steve Allen said, 害羞草研究所榊ou got it,害羞草研究所� that validation kept me going in a big, big way.害羞草研究所�
He had a cameo in 害羞草研究所淟eaving Las Vegas,害羞草研究所� which led to his first major dramatic role as Jimmy Epstein, an addict fighting for his life in the indie film, 害羞草研究所淒runks.害羞草研究所� He played Don Rickles害羞草研究所� son on one season of 害羞草研究所淒addy Dearest害羞草研究所� and a rabbi on 害羞草研究所�7th Heaven.害羞草研究所�
Lewis害羞草研究所� recurring role on 害羞草研究所淐urb Your Enthusiasm害羞草研究所� can be credited directly to his friendship with fellow comedian, producer and series star Larry David. Both native Brooklynites 害羞草研究所� born in the same Brooklyn hospital 害羞草研究所� they first met and became friends as rivals while attending the same summer camp at age 13. He was cast from the beginning, bickering with David on unpaid bills and common courtesies.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky.
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