Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis was an American comedian and actor who became known for dark, anxious, self-mocking comedy. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, he began at a Greenwich Village open mic in 1971 and soon performed regular stand-up while working as an advertising copywriter. David Brenner discovered him and helped him reach Los Angeles comedy clubs and his first Tonight Show appearance. Lewis became a familiar talk show guest in the 1980s and 1990s and shared the lead with Jamie Lee Curtis on Anything but Love, a sitcom that ran from 1989 to 1992. His film credits included Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), and Hugo Pool (1997), and he produced comedy specials for Showtime and HBO. On Curb Your Enthusiasm he had a recurring role as a semi-autobiographical version of himself. Comedy Central ranked him 45th on its list of the 100 Greatest Standups of All Time in 2004.