Richard Lewis, a beloved and influential stand-up comic whose career spanned over 50 years in comedy, movies, and TV, has died at the age of 76 after a heart attack.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, Lewis began his comedy career performing at open mic nights in Greenwich Village in 1971, becoming known for a neurotic persona and material heavily informed by his experiences with therapy. By the mid ’70s comedian David Brenner had become a sort of mentor, helping Lewis crack the L.A. club scene and get booked on.
, playing a fictionalized version of himself. Lewis and David met in real life at summer camp when they were 12 years old, and later reconnected while pursuing stand-up careers. Their combative friendship has been one of‘s great recurring bits over the show’s 12 seasons, with the two old friends and comedy vets constantly needling and insulting each other, and Lewis often bearing the brunt of David’s social impropriety.
Lewis is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky, and leaves behind a legendary body of stand-up that’s as funny and insightful today as it’s ever been.
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