Richard Philip Lewis (born June 29, 1947) is an American stand-up comedian and actor….who came to prominence in the 1980’s as a comedian specializing in self-deprecating humor before turning to acting. He is known for co-starring in the comedy series Anything but Love (1989–92) and for his recurring and semi-autobiographical role in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–present).
Lewis began performing stand-up comedy in the 1970’s. He worked as a copywriter for an ad agency by day….while honing his stand-up act at night. The ad agency was named Contemporary Graphics…. and was located above Lovey’s pizzeria in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Lewis gained popularity in the 1980’s with numerous appearances on Late Night with David Letterman….and his own television specials on HBO….as seen in this video herewith….where his 1st live television stand up comedy gig was on HBO’s Young Comedians Show…..with the Smothers Brothers as hosts. He is noted for always wearing an all-black outfit.
Lewis made his acting debut in Diary of a Young Comic….plus he co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis on the TV sitcoms Anything but Love….which ran for four seasons….and with Don Rickles on Daddy Dearest. Lewis had a recurring role in Rude Awakening and as Rabbi Richard Glass in 7th Heaven….and he appears in the Tales from the Crypt episode “Whirlpool.” In 2007, he made a cameo appearance as Phillip in George Lopez….and recently, he also made cameos in Everybody Hates Chris….as an old man in the hospital bed next to Chris Rock….as well as Charlie Sheen’s accountant in Two and a Half Men.
Lewis has achieved moderate success in films, appearing as Prince John in Robin Hood: Men in Tights….as a frontier doctor in Wagons East!….as an unemployed actor in Once Upon A Crime….and as himself in The Wrong Guys.
Richard Lewis is ranked # 45 on Comedy Central’s list of “100 Greatest Standups of All Time.“
