Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian, stand-up comedy all-star, and series regular on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died after suffering a heart attack. He was 76. Lewis’ death was confirmed by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Abraham said.
Richard Lewis’ comedic journey began with dual debuts in the New York and Los Angeles comedy arenas in the 1970s. Mentioned in the same breaths as comedy legends like Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler, Lewis’ comedy style was darker and more self-deprecating than his fellow kings and queens of comedy. Not afraid to lampoon his shortcomings, Richard Lewis shared grim comedy about his addictions and bizarre thinking.
Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in April 2023 and planned to retire from his stand-up career.
Related Curb Your Enthusiasm...
Richard Lewis’ comedic journey began with dual debuts in the New York and Los Angeles comedy arenas in the 1970s. Mentioned in the same breaths as comedy legends like Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler, Lewis’ comedy style was darker and more self-deprecating than his fellow kings and queens of comedy. Not afraid to lampoon his shortcomings, Richard Lewis shared grim comedy about his addictions and bizarre thinking.
Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in April 2023 and planned to retire from his stand-up career.
Related Curb Your Enthusiasm...
- 2/28/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Richard Lewis, the stand-up comedian who also starred alongside Larry David in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” died Tuesday night at his Los Angeles home due to a heart attack, Variety has confirmed. He was 76.
Lewis announced last April he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was retiring from stand-up comedy. He most recently appeared in Season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” currently airing on HBO.
In 2021, Lewis announced he would not appear in Season 11 of “Curb” in order to recover from three surgeries. He surprised viewers by returning to set for one Season 11 episode, telling Variety at the time, “When I walked in and they applauded, I felt like a million bucks. Larry doesn’t like to hug, and he hugged me and told me how happy he was after we shot our scene.”
Lewis, who played a semi-fictionalized version of himself throughout the 24 years of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was known for his neurotic,...
Lewis announced last April he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was retiring from stand-up comedy. He most recently appeared in Season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” currently airing on HBO.
In 2021, Lewis announced he would not appear in Season 11 of “Curb” in order to recover from three surgeries. He surprised viewers by returning to set for one Season 11 episode, telling Variety at the time, “When I walked in and they applauded, I felt like a million bucks. Larry doesn’t like to hug, and he hugged me and told me how happy he was after we shot our scene.”
Lewis, who played a semi-fictionalized version of himself throughout the 24 years of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was known for his neurotic,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Robert Downey Jr. still gets emotional watching Sr.
“I shouldn’t have watched the last 20 minutes, I can’t handle it,” the superstar actor and producer said Sunday upon taking the stage for a post-screening Q&a inside the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles. After wiping away tears, Downey Jr. sat opposite producer-wife Susan Downey for a conversation about their Netflix documentary about his filmmaker father, Robert Downey Sr., that was moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg.
Downey Jr. wasn’t alone in feeling overwhelmed with emotion. In the final moments of the Chris Smith-directed film, much sniffling could be heard inside the theater where celebrity guests like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Adrien Brody and Oscar winner Travon Free also took in the screening. But Downey Jr. was quick to point out that the filmmakers didn...
Robert Downey Jr. still gets emotional watching Sr.
“I shouldn’t have watched the last 20 minutes, I can’t handle it,” the superstar actor and producer said Sunday upon taking the stage for a post-screening Q&a inside the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles. After wiping away tears, Downey Jr. sat opposite producer-wife Susan Downey for a conversation about their Netflix documentary about his filmmaker father, Robert Downey Sr., that was moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg.
Downey Jr. wasn’t alone in feeling overwhelmed with emotion. In the final moments of the Chris Smith-directed film, much sniffling could be heard inside the theater where celebrity guests like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Adrien Brody and Oscar winner Travon Free also took in the screening. But Downey Jr. was quick to point out that the filmmakers didn...
- 12/13/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Among all the diverse documentaries that had their premieres at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, Chris Smith’s Sr. stands as one of the most unique and affecting. The film is on one level a portrait of indie film pioneer Robert Downey Sr., who was part of the American New Wave that energized cinema in the late 1960s. But the film is also a loving tribute to a father by his very famous son, Robert Downey Jr., who participated in the filming with his wife and fellow producer, Susan Downey.
While the film chronicles Downey Sr.’s career and sometimes tumultuous personal life, it is also a poignant — if inevitably incomplete — father-son chronicle. Downey died last year from Parkinson’s Disease, and he was ill during much of the filming, so that adds an element of pathos that is never overstated.
It...
Among all the diverse documentaries that had their premieres at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, Chris Smith’s Sr. stands as one of the most unique and affecting. The film is on one level a portrait of indie film pioneer Robert Downey Sr., who was part of the American New Wave that energized cinema in the late 1960s. But the film is also a loving tribute to a father by his very famous son, Robert Downey Jr., who participated in the filming with his wife and fellow producer, Susan Downey.
While the film chronicles Downey Sr.’s career and sometimes tumultuous personal life, it is also a poignant — if inevitably incomplete — father-son chronicle. Downey died last year from Parkinson’s Disease, and he was ill during much of the filming, so that adds an element of pathos that is never overstated.
It...
- 9/7/2022
- by Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The late Robert Downey spoke with veteran distributor-turned-director Ira Deutchman for his upcoming documentary “Searching for Mr. Rugoff.” The film is the story of Don Rugoff, owner of theater chain and distributor Cinema 5. Rugoff was key to the careers of many filmmakers, including Costa-Gavras, Lina Wertmuller, and Downey, who speaks here about how Rugoff swooped in to buy “Putney Swope” when no one else would touch the low-budget satire of Madison Avenue advertising agencies.
“I don’t understand it, but I like it,” Rugoff told Downey. Aided by an extraordinary marketing and ad campaign still remembered today, “Putney Swope” became the rare American independent film to be treated like a top foreign-language art film.
Among Downey Sr.’s early micro-budget directorial efforts were “Balls Bluff” (1961), “Babo 73” (1964), “Chafed Elbows” (1966), and “No More Excuses” (1968). The director was also an actor, with performing credits in films such as “Boogie Nights” (1997), “Magnolia” (1999), and...
“I don’t understand it, but I like it,” Rugoff told Downey. Aided by an extraordinary marketing and ad campaign still remembered today, “Putney Swope” became the rare American independent film to be treated like a top foreign-language art film.
Among Downey Sr.’s early micro-budget directorial efforts were “Balls Bluff” (1961), “Babo 73” (1964), “Chafed Elbows” (1966), and “No More Excuses” (1968). The director was also an actor, with performing credits in films such as “Boogie Nights” (1997), “Magnolia” (1999), and...
- 7/7/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Robert Downey Sr. died at the age of 85 on July 6. His son, actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed the news in a touching Instagram tribute on July 7. "Rip Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021 . . . Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson's," the Marvel star shared alongside a black and white photo of his father. "He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout . . . According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you."
The actor and director, best known for writing and directing the satirical film Putney Swope, got his start in 1953 with the short film The American Road. During his career, Robert Sr. had roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, To Live and Die in L.A., and on The Twilight Zone. He directed his son,...
The actor and director, best known for writing and directing the satirical film Putney Swope, got his start in 1953 with the short film The American Road. During his career, Robert Sr. had roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, To Live and Die in L.A., and on The Twilight Zone. He directed his son,...
- 7/7/2021
- by Grayson Gilcrease
- Popsugar.com
Robert Downey Sr., the counterculture filmmaker best known for his satire Putney Swope, died Wednesday, July 7th. He was 85.
Downey Sr.’s son, the actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed his death with a post on Instagram, saying, “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s… he was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout… According to my stepmom’s calculations, they were happily married for just over 2,000 years.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr.
Downey Sr.’s son, the actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed his death with a post on Instagram, saying, “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s… he was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout… According to my stepmom’s calculations, they were happily married for just over 2,000 years.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr.
- 7/7/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Robert Downey Sr. has died at 85 years old after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The father of Oscar-nominated actor Robert Downey Jr., Downey Sr. was a celebrated filmmaking in his own right thanks to his acclaimed 1969 counterculture satire “Putney Swope.” The film took aim at Madison Avenue and told the story of an African American activist who is given a free hand at an ad agency.
The younger Downey took to Instagram following the news of his father’s passing to post the following tribute: “Rip Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021…Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s. He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout..According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Among Downey Sr.
The younger Downey took to Instagram following the news of his father’s passing to post the following tribute: “Rip Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021…Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s. He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout..According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Among Downey Sr.
- 7/7/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Robert Downey Sr., director of the countercultural satire “Putney Swope” and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr., died Wednesday in New York. He was 85.
Downey Jr. posted about his father on Instagram, writing “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s…he was a true maverick filmmaker.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr)
Downey Sr. also acted, and directed several other films that gained a cult following. But 1969’s “Putney Swope” was given a mainstream release and thus exposed his work to a wider audience, which was shocked (even appalled) by much of what they saw at the time. The devastating satire of Madison Avenue follows what happens when an African American activist is given a free hand at an ad agency.
“Putney Swope” made New York Magazine’s list of 10 top films of the year.
Downey Jr. posted about his father on Instagram, writing “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s…he was a true maverick filmmaker.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr)
Downey Sr. also acted, and directed several other films that gained a cult following. But 1969’s “Putney Swope” was given a mainstream release and thus exposed his work to a wider audience, which was shocked (even appalled) by much of what they saw at the time. The devastating satire of Madison Avenue follows what happens when an African American activist is given a free hand at an ad agency.
“Putney Swope” made New York Magazine’s list of 10 top films of the year.
- 7/7/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Hayes in his one man stage show Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes, which is now on tour.
By Mark Cerulli
“Ne Oldu, Ne Oldu, Veelyam Hayes…” That line from Midnight Express, delivered with swaggering menace by a depraved prison warden (played by the great Paul L. Smith) burned itself into this scribe’s cortex back in 1978. Alan Parker’s iconic film about the real-life ordeal of American student Billy Hayes caught smuggling drugs in Turkey and sentenced to a hellish prison became a cultural phenomenon – not to mention an international box office success. It earned glowing reviews and Oscars for screenwriter Oliver Stone and composer Gorgio Moroder. Hayes even met his wife Wendy at the splashy Cannes premiere. No joy for Turkey, though - there was an international outcry about their seemingly draconian justice system and the country’s once-booming tourism hit the skids hard. The gritty association...
By Mark Cerulli
“Ne Oldu, Ne Oldu, Veelyam Hayes…” That line from Midnight Express, delivered with swaggering menace by a depraved prison warden (played by the great Paul L. Smith) burned itself into this scribe’s cortex back in 1978. Alan Parker’s iconic film about the real-life ordeal of American student Billy Hayes caught smuggling drugs in Turkey and sentenced to a hellish prison became a cultural phenomenon – not to mention an international box office success. It earned glowing reviews and Oscars for screenwriter Oliver Stone and composer Gorgio Moroder. Hayes even met his wife Wendy at the splashy Cannes premiere. No joy for Turkey, though - there was an international outcry about their seemingly draconian justice system and the country’s once-booming tourism hit the skids hard. The gritty association...
- 8/28/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The sCare Foundation has announced that it will honor Malcolm McDowell with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its Halloween Benefit this weekend:
Los Angeles, CA — The sCare Foundation announced today it will honor legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, A Clockwork Orange) with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2nd Annual Halloween Benefit on October 28, 2012. The evening will be held at the Conga Room at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, and will include great entertainment, a silent auction and plenty of exciting prizes. The evening will benefit the life-saving programs of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Project (http://hhyp.org/), as well as Safety Harbor Kids (http://www.safetyharborkids.org/).
“Malcolm is an amazing actor and true professional,” said sCare Foundation founder, Malek Akkad. “He’s always been an ardent supporter and we’re excited to be able to honor him in this way. Besides being one of our greatest actors,...
Los Angeles, CA — The sCare Foundation announced today it will honor legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, A Clockwork Orange) with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2nd Annual Halloween Benefit on October 28, 2012. The evening will be held at the Conga Room at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, and will include great entertainment, a silent auction and plenty of exciting prizes. The evening will benefit the life-saving programs of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Project (http://hhyp.org/), as well as Safety Harbor Kids (http://www.safetyharborkids.org/).
“Malcolm is an amazing actor and true professional,” said sCare Foundation founder, Malek Akkad. “He’s always been an ardent supporter and we’re excited to be able to honor him in this way. Besides being one of our greatest actors,...
- 10/23/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The sCare Foundation announced today it will honor legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, A Clockwork Orange) with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2nd Annual Halloween Benefit on October 28, 2012.
The evening will be held at the Conga Room at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, and will include great entertainment, a silent auction and plenty of exciting prizes. The evening will benefit the life-saving programs of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership, as well as Safety Harbor Kids.
“Malcolm is an amazing actor and true professional,” said sCare Foundation founder, Malek Akkad. “He’s always been an ardent supporter and we’re excited to be able to honor him in this way. Besides being one of our greatest actors, he has always shown unwavering support to our cause, and his generosity and compassion truly appreciated.”
Malcolm McDowell is arguably among the most dynamic and inventive of world-class actors,...
The evening will be held at the Conga Room at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, and will include great entertainment, a silent auction and plenty of exciting prizes. The evening will benefit the life-saving programs of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership, as well as Safety Harbor Kids.
“Malcolm is an amazing actor and true professional,” said sCare Foundation founder, Malek Akkad. “He’s always been an ardent supporter and we’re excited to be able to honor him in this way. Besides being one of our greatest actors, he has always shown unwavering support to our cause, and his generosity and compassion truly appreciated.”
Malcolm McDowell is arguably among the most dynamic and inventive of world-class actors,...
- 10/23/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
I was all prepared to be the pretentious douche who, when ranking Robert Downey, Jr.'s five best roles, weighed the list heavy with pre-rehabbed Downey. Until Iron Man, Downey had always been a brilliant but under-appreciated actor. Even still, most of his pre-comeback script choices were spotty, at best. He used to excel at the smarmy sleazy guy with the occasional bit of charm (The Pick-Up Arist, Two Girls and a Guy) and, up until around 1995 -- when his career went off the rails -- he made a lot of bad to mediocre guilty pleasure movies, like Heart and Souls, Air America, Chances Are and Only You (if he wasn't snorting coke before Only You, that movie probably would've driven him to it). He was trying really hard, I suppose, to be a romantic comedy leading man, and had drugs not taken over his life, it's sad to think...
- 5/11/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
Actor sees parallels between Tony Stark's onscreen father-son themes and his life.
By Larry Carroll
Robert Downey Jr.
Photo: MTV News
It is no accident one of the world's biggest movie stars, Robert Downey Jr., maintains that notation after his name. The "Iron Man" star is, of course his father's namesake. But fans may not know that the "Sr." Downey is a noted indie filmmaker. Once filming began on "Iron Man 2," the iconic director, Downey Jr. said, was never far from his mind.
"Well, sure, any time your dad is revered," the 45-year-old actor told MTV News. "I mean, I grew up with people saying, 'Hey, that's Bob Downey's kid' — and understandably so."
The actor's father has a backstory worthy of the big screen: He served in the Army, played minor-league baseball (striking out Yogi Berra in a game), held the title of Golden Gloves boxing champion and...
By Larry Carroll
Robert Downey Jr.
Photo: MTV News
It is no accident one of the world's biggest movie stars, Robert Downey Jr., maintains that notation after his name. The "Iron Man" star is, of course his father's namesake. But fans may not know that the "Sr." Downey is a noted indie filmmaker. Once filming began on "Iron Man 2," the iconic director, Downey Jr. said, was never far from his mind.
"Well, sure, any time your dad is revered," the 45-year-old actor told MTV News. "I mean, I grew up with people saying, 'Hey, that's Bob Downey's kid' — and understandably so."
The actor's father has a backstory worthy of the big screen: He served in the Army, played minor-league baseball (striking out Yogi Berra in a game), held the title of Golden Gloves boxing champion and...
- 4/30/2010
- MTV Movie News
Christina Applegate is the latest to join the Farrelly brothers comedy "Hall Pass," in production at New Line. Alyssa Milano, Larry Campbell and Vanessa Angel also have jumped aboard.
The new cast members join Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Amanda Bynes, Stephen Merchant, J.B. Smoove, Nicky Whelan and Derek Waters in the comedy, which began shooting Tuesday in Atlanta. The film centers on what happens when two husbands are given permission to go outside their marriages for guilt-free romantic liaisons for one week.
Bobby and Peter Farrelly wrote the script with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett and are producing with their Conundrum Entertainment partner Bradley Thomas.
Applegate, repped by CAA and Management 360, next stars in New Line's romantic comedy "Going the Distance," which hits theaters in October. She recently appeared in "The Rocker," "Surviving Christmas" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."
The CAA-repped Milano has appeared in the features "Hugo Pool,...
The new cast members join Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Amanda Bynes, Stephen Merchant, J.B. Smoove, Nicky Whelan and Derek Waters in the comedy, which began shooting Tuesday in Atlanta. The film centers on what happens when two husbands are given permission to go outside their marriages for guilt-free romantic liaisons for one week.
Bobby and Peter Farrelly wrote the script with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett and are producing with their Conundrum Entertainment partner Bradley Thomas.
Applegate, repped by CAA and Management 360, next stars in New Line's romantic comedy "Going the Distance," which hits theaters in October. She recently appeared in "The Rocker," "Surviving Christmas" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."
The CAA-repped Milano has appeared in the features "Hugo Pool,...
- 2/25/2010
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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