He died on Tuesday at his Los Angeles residence, aged 76.
Richard Lewis, the stand-up comedian renowned for his acerbic and dark sense of humour, rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s. Transitioning seamlessly, he ventured into acting, gracing films like "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" and making memorable appearances as himself on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He died on Tuesday at his Los Angeles residence, aged 76.
His publicist, Jeff Abraham, said the cause of his death was a heart attack. The comedian announced last year that he had Parkinson's disease, The Guardian reported.
"His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time," Abraham said in a written statement.
"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 shared by HBO. "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."
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the romantic co-lead opposite Mr Lewis in Anything But Love, paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing: "He also is the reason I am sober. He helped me. I am forever grateful to 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. I'm weeping as I write this. Strange way of saying thank you to a sweet and funny man. Rest in laughter, Richard."
Brooklyn-born Lewis began performing stand-up comedy in the early 1970s while working a day job in advertising and by the end of the decade had risen to the forefront of his generation of comedians.
He was a regular on late-night talk shows through the 1980s and starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis on the ABC TV comedy "Anything But Love." He made several film appearances in the 1990s, most notably in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."
In later years he was best known for playing a version of himself as Larry David's friend on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," in which the two men bickered relentlessly.