American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Richard Lewis gained recognition in the 1980s and has since drawn attention to his struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues.
American citizen Richard Philip Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 29, 1947, and passed away in Los Angeles, California, on February 28, 2024.
Lewis became well-known for using black humor, humoring himself, and being open about his neuroses and struggles with drug and alcohol abuse.
After completing his studies at Ohio State University and earning a marketing degree in 1965, he left Dwight Morrow High School.
Became well-known in the 1980s and was renowned for his self-deprecating, dark, and neurotic comedy.
Lewis’s career by exposing him to Los Angeles’ comedy clubs and securing his first Tonight Show engagement.
Lewis’s memoir, The Other Great Depression, was released in 2000.
In 2008, the book was reprinted with an additional afterword by Lewis that went into further detail on his ongoing battles with addiction.
Released Reflections from Hell: Richard Lewis’ Guide on How Not to Live in 2015 book features views and commentary.
This Article Interest You: Richard Lewis Religion And Ethnicity: Was He Jewish Or Christian? Family Details.
Was Richard Lewis Drugs Addict?
A recurring theme of Lewis’s comedy was his fight with anxiety and depression, as well as his numerous therapy sessions.
Additionally, he acknowledged in interviews that his bodily dysmorphia was the cause of his eating issue.
Richard Lewis, a former user of cocaine and crystal meth, was candid about his journey to recovery from alcohol and drugs misuse.
Lewis’s addictions grew worse in the 1990s, and he had to give up stand-up comedy from 1991 to 1994.
When John Candy passed away the previous year, Lewis thought back on his own life and work, he said in a 1995 interview with the Santa Maria Times.
Candy’s final movie, the Western-themed comedy Wagons East, starred the two of them together.
Lewis said in subsequently conducted interviews that he became clean in 1994 as a result of a cocaine overdose that landed him in the hospital emergency room.
Lewis also shared why he wanted to reveal his diagnosis to the world.
You Might Also Like This: Did Richard Lewis Have Children? Kids And Family Details.
Richard Lewis: Mental Health And Illness Update
Lewis had several surgeries as a result of his health problems.
He fell from his roof in 2016, breaking his right hand; in 2019, he underwent back surgery for severe back pain.
And early in 2020, he broke his shoulder, necessitating yet another operation.
In 2021, it was discovered that Lewis faced health issues and endured pain while filming Curb Your Enthusiasm.
He declared that he will only be making a cameo in a single Season 11 episode. In Season 12, the last season of the show, Lewis made a comeback.
Lewis died of a heart attack on February 28, 2024, at the age of 76.
In response to Lewis’s passing, friends and coworkers, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David and co-star Cheryl Hines, released messages honoring Lewis.
On the evening of his death, Jimmy Fallon referred to him as one of the greatest comedians of all time in his opening monologue.
Lewis revealed in April 2023 that he had received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis two years prior.
He declared he was “focused on writing and acting” and would no longer be doing stand-up comedy.
You May Also Like This: Hector Ortiz Wife And Kids: Former Texas Rangers Coach Family Background.
