Larry David Issues an Appropriately Larry David Statement on the Passing of His Friend Richard Lewis

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, File

Richard Lewis, the self-proclaimed “Prince of Pain” whose comedy career spanned decades, died on Tuesday at the age of 76. Many of his peers, colleagues, friends, and fans paid tribute to Lewis, but Larry David’s statement was among the most poignant.

Lewis was a regular on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm with David, but their friendship went even farther back. They were born days apart in the same hospital in New York, and went to the same summer camp as children. In their 20s, they came up as comedians together. After Lewis’ death was announced, HBO provided Variety with a statement from David:

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. 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.

In his final interview with Vanity Fair earlier this month, Lewis said of David:

I can’t tell you how loving he is — the best friend you could ever imagine. The show gives me another vehicle to express my feelings to Larry, because we are the oldest of friends.

Lewis retired from standup in 2018 and made a surprise appearance in the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2021. He announced last year that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Variety cited his cause of death as a heart attack.