Richard Lewis Biography

Lewis realized his talent for acting and knack for comedy and decided to pursue comedy professionally. This realization came to him at the time when he was successfully contributing ad copy and comedic material to other comedians.

His very first professional comic stint was with New York’s Improvisation Comedy Club in the early 1970s and by 1974 he managed to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which meant that his talent was no longer hidden.

Lewis started making regular appearances on The Sonny and Cher Show. It was around this time he earned the nickname ‘The Prince of Pain’ because of his TV guise of an angry and grumpy person.

Lewis did many little stints for shows like Saturday Night Live, made numerous television appearances and toured along with other comics on—especially the comic concert with Jamie Lee Curtis, which earned him his own cable special ‘I’m in Pain’.

He acted with Don Rickles in the short-lived TV series ‘Daddy Dearest’. He had a recurring role in ‘Rude Awakening’, as ‘Rabbi Richard Glass’ on the dramatic series ‘7th Heaven’, and appeared on the ‘Tales from the Crypt’.

Lewis did not only perform comedy routines, he also wrote hilarious and satirical comic articles for many magazines, one of which is ‘Playboy’. He was also endorsing popular brands in the 1990s, like, Boku, Snapple and Certs breath mints.

Lewis made his mark on the silver screen with brief: ‘Once Upon a Crime (1992)’, ‘Wagons East! (1994)’, ‘Leaving Las vegas (1995)’, Mel Brooks’ ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1997)’—in which he played ‘Prince John’, ‘The Wrong Guys (1998)’, etc.

Lewis was also an author and apart from writing comic articles and columns for various American magazines, he released his own book in 2001, titled ‘The Other Great Depression’—a book about his struggle with recovering from alcoholism.

He did cameos in ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ along with Chris Rock and as Charlie Sheen's accountant in ‘Two and a Half Men’. He also had a recurring role in Larry David’s successful venture ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.

He starred in the film “Squirrels To The Nuts”, released in 2014, starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots and Cybill Shepherd, among others.

Although Lewis was a multi-faceted personality with a record in stage performances, TV and film acting and writing but his forte was his unique comic routines, which he incorporated in various TV series and movies.

Lewis married his long-term girlfriend and ‘soulmate’ Joyce Lapinsky in 2005. When he decided to get married to Lapinsky, he took her to meet with his therapist for his opinion on her.

In 2021, Lewis was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles on February 27, 2024, at the age of 76.

Richard Lewis was known for his unique fashion sense, often sporting colorful and eccentric outfits on stage and screen.

He was a talented writer and has authored several humorous books, showcasing his wit and storytelling abilities beyond his stand-up comedy.

Richard Lewis was an avid collector of vintage movie posters and memorabilia, demonstrating his passion for cinema history.

He was a skilled improvisational actor, having appeared in numerous improv comedy shows and demonstrating his quick thinking and comedic timing.

Richard Lewis was a dedicated animal lover and advocate, supporting various animal welfare organizations and using his platform to raise awareness about animal rights issues.