Larry David is paying tribute to longtime friend and Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Richard Lewis after the comedian and actor died Tuesday at the age of 76 due to a heart attack.
“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 wrote in a statement shared by HBO Wednesday. “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.”
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Lewis appeared on more than 40 episodes of David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, including the pilot episode, after first meeting David at a summer camp when he was just 12 years old. “I disliked him intensely. He was cocky, he was arrogant,’” Lewis told The Spectator in an August 2023 interview. “When we played baseball I tried to hit him with the ball: we were arch-rivals. I couldn’t wait for the camp to be over just to get away from Larry. I’m sure he felt the same way.” Years later, the two comedians crossed paths again in the New York City stand-up scene and would go on to become close friends.
Despite previously announcing in 2021 that he would not be returning to Curb in order to recover from three surgeries, Lewis would later change his mind and return for a one-scene appearance in Season 12, which is ongoing on HBO. The network also released a statement honoring Lewis following his death.
“We are heartbroken to learn that Richard Lewis has passed away. His comedic brilliance, wit and talent were unmatched,” a spokesperson for the network said, as per Variety. “Richard will always be a cherished member of the HBO and Curb Your Enthusiasm families, our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and all the fans who could count on Richard to brighten their days with laughter.”
“Richard Lewis was part of a changing of the guard in stand-up history during the 1970s; his work exemplified and anticipated the deeply personal, raw, introspective and yes, neurotic, tone that has come to color so much contemporary comedy,” added Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center. “His influence on the art form was profound, and we are proud to preserve his enduring contribution to comedy’s heritage.”
