Curb Your Enthusiasm stars Larry David and Cheryl Hines are remembering Richard Lewis, who died Tuesday, February 28, from a heart attack. He was 76.
Lewis, who is known for his role on the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm and more, was remembered by his Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star, Larry David, who called Lewis a “brother to me.”
“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,” David said in a statement. “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,” he added.
Hines, who also starred in the comedy series, took to Instagram to remember Lewis and said working with him was “a dream come true.”
“When I was young I had the biggest crush on Richard Lewis,” Hines began. “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.”
“Through the years I learned who Richard really was and the gifts he gave,” she continued. “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,” she said and ended her note with a message to David: “Larry, Richard adored you. But you know that.”
Keep reading to see more tributes to Lewis:
Jamie Lee Curtis: “[W]e were casting the ABC pilot Anything But Love and asked the casting people to bring him in to audition to play my best friend/maybe boyfriend, Marty Gold …He blew everyone else away It was a love triangle show and they didn’t pick up that pilot but they came back to me and said that the chemistry with Richard was so great and could we revamp the original pilot which is the show we ended up making for a couple years … He also is the reason I am sober. He helped me. I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone. He found love with Joyce and that, of course, besides his sobriety, is what mattered most to him.”
Mark Hamill: “So sad to hear we have lost @TheRichardLewis. He was one-of-a-kind & always hilarious. Thank you for a lifetime of laughter.”
Tim Allen: “So very sad to hear about the loss of my dear friend Richard Lewis. God bless your wife. So much legacy comedy you have left here. So very sad you’re gone.”
Cary Elwes: “Noooo….. We were literally just making plans to get together. Besides your remarkable talent there was no one sweeter or more generous than you, my friend. I miss you already & forever. Rest in Power, Richard. Our sincere condolences to Joyce, his family, friends & fans.”
Jeff Garlin: “How many people get to work with their hero? I’m heartbroken.”
Jeffrey Ross: “First time I saw Richard Lewis perform was at Carnegie Hall in Dec 1989. (He recently reminded me of the date). I was just an aspiring comic in the crowd and Richard’s performance showed me that you don’t have to play guitar or write songs to be a rockstar. We called each other ‘son of a caterer’ because both our dads ran famous catering halls in New Jersey. He was such a mensch. Long Live King Richard! —son of a caterer.”
Dane Cook: “Aww @TheRichardLewis I love you and will miss you man. You were a champion. RIP”
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